A New Horizon
by TennisQueen12
Summary: What happened in Narnia after the Pevensies left? The first few years of ruling a nation are said to be the "honeymoon" stage. How do Caspian and Rosalie react when this stage ends and Narnia faces a new evil? Caspian/OC **MOVIE VERSE** AU slightly
1. The New Life

**Author's Note: Ahhhh, sequel time! I'm just as excited as you all are…hehe. To any new people checking this story out, I recommend reading my other story, Rosalie Sopespian, first. Otherwise, you are going to be totally lost.**

**I own nothing other than what you don't recognize.**

_A New Horizon_

Chapter One: The New Life

_The first year that the Pevensies were gone, to my disappointment, was uneventful. I guess that it was rather nice to have plenty of time to recover from the effects of the struggle for the crown, but I found that our new life was much less exciting and much more demanding, mostly in an emotional way. Still, I thought that the adventure sort of trials were just beginning of more adventure so whenever life went back to being mundane…I didn't know what to do with myself._

_I mentioned that the new life was much more emotionally demanding and what that meant was that plenty of more women respected me now, for some odd reason. Almost every day, as I sat in the study of my family's quarters (I was offered new lodgings, but couldn't give up the old home), Emily would come in to inform me that some women from the town wished to speak with me. Feeling guilty to turn them down, I would always go and act as a comfort for them. They would tell me all sorts of things and even though I was still much younger than they were…they always thanked me and praised me with compliments that I did not deserve. Being with these women forced me to be more mature._

_With that being said, one of the first things they would always ask me was when the wedding was. Every time, I would merely chuckle and answer them by saying that Caspian and I were still young and had some things to work out. As much as I tried to gloss over the topic, that seemed to be what many of the women wanted to talk about. Normally, if I felt the conversation was headed in this direction, I would cleverly elude myself from the conversation and politely explain that I had other chores to do. __Caspian, now king on the throne that was rightfully his, was gone more often and I didn't see him near as much as I would have liked, but we had soon made the promise to each other that every evening would be our time to walk on the path we had every day as children. That was our time to recollect on whatever had happened during the day. _

_Although, it was hard to try and gloss over the topic because the truth of the matter was that I had fallen even harder for the King of Narnia as he gained more experience being the leader of the nation. I felt like our time spent together at meals and during the evenings were even more special then because we had almost lost each other once before. We didn't want anything to go unsaid should something go wrong again. The women were right to gossip about a royal wedding, for it wasn't a secret that we were an "item", but I hadn't a clue about marriage alone…not even to mention being a Queen.  
_

_Narnia hadn't really experienced many more trifles. In fact, after taking care of a couple of small outbursts of riot in the Northern and Southern portions immediately after the fall of Miraz, we were completely at peace for the first months. Sure, there were plenty of protesters, but most of them we were able to compromise with. During that first year, we spent a lot of time traveling and seeing this nation that was now his. Most of the time, Penelope and I would go along, but there were other times where my sister and I would stay at the castle, just to "hold down fort."  
_

_Penelope had grown up significantly over the course of those few months. It seemed as though I was watching a miniature version of myself growing up by the day. She didn't have as much of a demand to the throne, so she found herself with plenty of free time. Most of her spare time was spent shooting arrows  
_

_A few months after we returned to the castle, our good friend and mentor Doctor Cornelius returned to Telmar. It was wonderful to have him around again for he was practically a family member to all of us. We connected very quickly and recollected everything to him about what had happened. However, whenever I mentioned Jacob to Doctor Cornelius, he asked whatever had happened to him. I never could give him an answer because, quite frankly, I didn't know. I thought that, perhaps, after some time, Jacob would migrate back to the castle, but I was wrong. He never came back in those four years. In fact, I had almost wondered if something tragic had happened to him, but it was nearly impossible to try and track him…wherever he was. If he wanted to come back, then he would…that was my theory._

_It's hard for me to choose a time to start telling the story once more because there were some interesting events that happened in that four year time span, but I believe I have given you a good description of what happened in those years of a rather smooth transition. Those first few months were deceiving. Very deceiving. They gave us this false image that we would have no hardships in Narnia for soon after those first few months were over…reality came back and hit us hard. And by reality I mean darkness that we had never known before. Trials that made our previous ones look pitiable. _

_So, now I bring us back to the land of Narnia once more…roughly one year after the departure of the Pevensies. Just before our world was about to become shaken up once more.  
_

_

* * *

_

The clash of swords filled the forest air around the castle. Laughter soon followed as I clashed my weapon against the servant girl in front of me. She quickly recovered and swiftly took a jab at me, but not before I could step out of the way. A sound of aggravation came from Emily's mouth as she slung the sword back down at her side," Rosalie, can't you at least go easy on me?"

Another laugh came from my mouth," You're not going to improve any if I go easy on you, Emily."

She slung her arms in the air out of frustration," What if I haven't an interest in this silly non-sense?"

I shrugged, but soon stared at her," Then, I suppose we can stop."

She smiled and I returned it with a slight smile before heading over to the tree stump where the cases to both of our weapons lie. However, I had taught this girl well for just as I had started to step away from the duel, I felt a blade at my throat," It appears as though the master is losing her touch."

I shook my head, ashamed that I would actually fall for one of her amateur tricks. However, there wasn't really a way that I could reach for my, already dropped weapon, without injuring myself so I raised my hands in defeat, still chuckling," You've got me."

The servant girl jumped away in excitement and began flinging the sword around in glee. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her getting so excited over "beating" (if you really wanted to classify it as that) me, she exclaimed," I really didn't think you'd go for it."

I grabbed the case for the sword and slid it into its sheath before tossing her the one that went to her own as well. As she caught it, I raised a brow and replied," You only learned to be clever because I taught you how to talk your way out of a situation."

She rolled her eyes slightly," I guess there is some credit to be given to you."

Emily had been my servant girl for such a long time. I had practically grown up with her and remembered seeing her as a young girl walking around the castle. I never really associated myself with her, mostly because I was told not to. After the new monarch had been set in place, the servants were practically treated as our equals, even though they did still do plenty of work around the castle. The load was much lighter for them under Caspian's new policies. She had basically become a friend to the lot of us over the last year.

"Had it not been for me," I argued, teasingly as we started back on the castle trail," You might not have ever picked up a sword."

She shot me a sideways glance and tucked the sword into its case quickly," You have a point."

We looked at each other seriously as she handed me the sword, but then burst into laughter at the seriousness. Laughing, we continued walking back up to the pathway, but as we entered into open with the castle up in the distance, Penelope could be seen shooting arrows into a target down by the river. The sun was beginning to set, so I called out to her as we passed.

"Penelope!" I called, as she shot another arrow straight into the target," C'mon it's getting dark soon!"

Almost as if not hearing me, she pulled another arrow from her back and sent it blazing through the air," Penelope?" I tried again.

Agitated, she shot me a look," I'm a big girl now , and I think I can judge the time just as well as you can, Rosalie!"

Emily looked at me, almost waiting to see just how I would respond. I should have been used to response like this by now because she had developed quite the attitude. Being the outspoken person that I was, I wanted to say something just as attitude-filled back to her, but I merely looked at Emily, rolled my eyes and continued walking on. I guess that by this time, I should have been able to let her go on her own, but it was still hard. I still had natural instinct to want to protect the last of my family.

We continued walking up the pathway until we had reached the castle gates once more. Though the walk was long and rather grueling, there was nothing comparable to walking out to the forest in our own designated area to practice dueling. It provided me with the chance to keep the rust away and Emily the perfect opportunity to continue to learn.

Entering the castle grounds after leaving was one of my favorite things to do. The men working the bridge always made us feel so welcome after leaving and the servants on the inside would never hesitate in welcoming us back home. I couldn't help but smile and strike up small conversation with some of them. We walked through the newly decorated castle grounds, now decorated with bright flowers and nice trees planted in the courtyard. The whole castle looked brand new. Just before the entrance to the main castle, was a large arrangement of flowers that changed depending upon the season. It was so nice to have the freedom to come and go and see the flowers every day. They never ceased to look bright and magnificent.

"You're doing wonderful, Laurie!" I called to the gardener as we passed through to the main hallway.

The elderly woman looked up from her flowers and smiled at the both of us before waving grandly," Thank you girls! Be careful, now!"

Laurie was such a happy lady that it hardly mattered whatever mood a person was in, she would always make them feel better. There was just a certain charm about her that was mostly incomparable to any of the other servants.

"What a sweet lady!" Emily whispered to me as we walked through the grand hallway," Always so loving and encouraging."

I looked right at Emily and nodded," Isn't she though? If I were given the option as to who I would wish to be my grandmother, it would most definitely be her."

Emily chuckled at the comment as we climbed the main stairwell," I have to agree."

Just as we reached the top of the stairs, a short, dark headed boy went sprinting by, almost knocking us over. I knew immediately who the young boy was. His name was Beckett. Most of us just called him, Beck, but he was a new servant that had just come to the castle just weeks before. He was basically an orphan with no where to go when he showed up on the castle's front steps late one evening. Caspian and I developed a soft spot for him, but quickly found out this boy's quirks. He was probably around the age of fifteen or sixteen and had quite possibly one of the most high pitched, quickest voices that I had ever heard on an adolescent boy of his age.

Caspian wanted to provide a special job for the boy, since he reminded him a little bit of himself seeing as they both lacked parents, so he made him one of his assistants. Unfortunately, I think that he soon regretted it for the boy had the tendency to be…convulsive.

After almost knocking us over, I called out to him," Beck, Beck! What's the big rush?"

Breathing hard, the boy tried to turn himself around, but in the quick motions of trying to change direction; he slipped and fell on the slick floor. My hands rushed to my mouth, mostly in shock that the boy had actually slid and fell and partially because I was about to burst out laughing. I felt so bad for the lanky, rather uncoordinated boy, but it was a rather humorous sight to see him flailing about on the ground, as awful as that sounded.

"Beck!" I cried out, running over to his side, but before I could go to the floor by his side, he had already started popping back up," Beck, calm down."

He slipped around more as he struggled to stand up and just as he was about to take another tumble, I grabbed his arm and tried to steady the clumsy fellow," What's the big rush?" I repeated myself.

He breathed in heavily as he looked from Emily to me quickly," I-I-I," he stuttered, but he was still breathing hard.

"Breathe, just breathe," Emily said from beside me as he gasped in large amounts of oxygen.

After several moments, he finally calmed himself completely. The normal (or at least as close to normal as he could get) Beck. He looked straight at me with his large, brown eyes and said," W-Where's King Caspian? I've just received some important news for him!"

I looked right at the poor boy and sighed mentally before asking," I don't know at the moment, but why don't you tell me? I'll probably be seeing him soon anyways."

I didn't really know how, but somehow Caspian _always_ seemed to know when Beck was on the look for him. Despite what I told Beck, I always knew where to find Caspian hiding away from the poor boy. I scolded Caspian several times for not just talking with him, but being a male, I guess he enjoyed seeing the poor kid become frantic. Even though he was a great King and leader, and I loved Caspian very dearly; I never would understand the joy in making this kid even more of a frantic mess than what he already was.

"Well-well, I don't really know," he spat out nervously, eyes shifting back and forth," You-you-you aren't the King, but-but-but you will probably see him before I do. But you aren't him and I was told to-"

"Beck," Emily chipped in, trying to stay calm," Why don't you just tell her?"

He gaped for a moment before finally sighing," I'm sorry, I'm doing it again aren't I?"

Emily and I nodded simultaneously and said together," Yes."

He sighed, obviously disappointed with himself that he had started babbling and arguing with himself again. He was simply one of those people that required plenty of patience," Just t-tell him that there is going to be a meeting early tomorrow morning with his cabinet."

I laughed slightly and placed a gently hand on Beck's shoulder," I will make sure that he hears of this, but in the meantime…try not to worry yourself too much."

A smile came to his lips and he nodded his head," You don't have to worry about me, Lady Rosalie."

Emily and I began walking in the opposite direction before Emily finally answered," Where do you suppose Caspian is?"

I rolled my eyes before answering," He's probably locked up in his study just to give the poor Beck a scare. Could you do me a favor and go make sure the boy doesn't do anything dangerous? He's probably needed somewhere else."

Emily met my eyes and nodded," Of course, you'll be alright?"

"Don't worry about me," I told her and with a final smile she turned to go follow the boy.

Soon, I could hear her sprinting down the hallways yelling," Beck! Beck, stop!"

Instantly, there was a clash of something. I didn't want to look. It was Beck. It could have been anything so I just shook my head before continuing down the hallway. After turning down a couple other corridors, I found myself at Caspian's study. I knocked hard at the door without an answer. He probably thought that I might, by chance, be his favorite little assistant.

I crossed my arms and released a sigh," Caspian, it's me, you can open up."

After a couple more minutes of waiting at the door, the door to his study quickly flung open and the dark-headed King appeared in front of me, looking frantically around me before grabbing my arm and pulling me swiftly into his study. As if paranoid, he slammed the door shut and locked it hard.

"Please tell me you didn't tell him where I was," he whispered to me as if he was in a frenzy.

I shot him a disappointed look and shook my head in shame," No, I didn't-"

"Thank goodness," Caspian sighed, relief obviously filling his face as he fell back against the door, still keeping his balance, but slid his fingers down to unlock the door.

I kept my arms crossed, as if scolding a child," Caspian, you're awful to the poor boy!"

His brown eyes widened as he argued, just like a child would with his mother," Rosalie, you don't understand."

Keeping my arms crossed, I scrutinized his face," He's not _that_ bad."

He tilted his head at me incredulously," Really?" he challenged, "Why, then tomorrow I shall tell him to follow _you_ around all day."

I found myself at a loss for words. I most definitely did not want the kid following me around all day, but I didn't exactly want my point to go unheard either. Caspian's lips curved upward into a smile before a laugh escaped his lips. He stood up straight against the door as he approached me," See?"

"I-I-you're not letting me answer," I argued, with a smile growing on his face, as he continued to come near me.

"I don't need you to say anything, the answer is written all over your face," he mumbled to me, playfully, still smiling.

I kept my arms crossed as he placed his hands on my waist and pulled me closer to him," I really am happy to see you."

Slowly, I unwrapped my arms as he moved in closer and quickly planted a kiss on my lips. I smiled as he kissed me and felt him begin to chuckle as we broke apart," And I you. Now, your little messenger told me to tell you that you've a meeting tomorrow with your cabinet, are you aware of this?"

He looked at me, still keeping his hands at my waist, but raised an eyebrow," I am not, why don't you tell this messenger thank you for me?"

I laughed aloud," Tell him yourself. I think he would much rather hear it from you."

With a roll of his eyes, he said," If I must…"

"You must," I commanded as he moved his hands away from my waist before I slipped my hand into his," Now that I know that you've a meeting bright and early tomorrow, I'll make sure not to keep you out too late on our evening jaunt."

He smiled, a smile that made my heart melt, as he reached for the door," Oh good, someone to watch out for me."

And then we left the confines of the castle, hand in hand, to continue onward to our evening walk.

This was basically our new life. It wasn't nearly as adventure-filled or action-packed as the one we lived for a brief amount of time, but for the time being it felt as though this was what we were suppose to be doing, providing a solid backbone for the new Narnia that was still rising to its feet. For the first few months, we had done a good job of getting rid of the hints of evil that arose. Even though it may not have been the life I expected to have after Caspian was king, I was happy.

**Author's Note: I couldn't stop smiling while writing this…****:) I hope you guys enjoyed it and thanks again to everyone who supported Rosalie Sopespian, love you guys to death! So, uh, let me know what you think!**


	2. A Darkness Out West

****Urgent** Author's Note: I appreciate your support. I own nothing ****J**

**Now, some of you may have noticed that there was an issue with timing and such in the first chapter. Although I believe I have fixed it now, I want to make a note to mention it. There is a three year time span between the events of PC and VDT. In the last, original chapter, I mentioned that this story took place four years after the events of Prince Caspian, which would obviously cause problems with the plot of this story since I planned for this story to be Pre-VDT. I did in fact know this when I wrote the first chapter, however, I believe I got the two different time zones confused so it didn't really occur to me how significantly it would change things.**

**So, now, this story has changed from taking place ****four**** years after PC to ****one**** year after the events. Though it sounds like a significant change, I think I can make it work. Thanks to Calyn for bringing this to my attention. I apologize for not picking up on this and I am rather embarrassed right about now. Anyways, I'll shut up now. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Two: A Darkness Out West

While we walked through the castle, moonlight began to seep through the windows. Throughout the hallways, the number of people gathered around diminished greatly. All of the servants were already tucked away in their beds, all of the other members of royalty were broken off into their own private quarters. Though it was not extremely late, the hustle and bustle of the daytime would always settle down at about this time.

In the grand entry way we saw Emily, struggling to get Beck to follow her. Caspian shot me a sideways look as we grew closer and mumbled," I think I can find a different way."

I tightened my fingers through his and whispered back at him," No, I'm not letting you sneak your way out of this one."

He shifted uncomfortably as we moved even closer still," Rosalie-"

I looked right at him sternly," You've fought in battles, you're the King of Narnia and you're telling me that you are-"

"King Caspian!" the teenage boy exclaimed happily as we approached, interrupting my thought. I put on a smile to try and put on any sort of facade I could get him to believe. Stealthily, I rubbed my elbow into Caspian's side causing him to release a small groan before following my lead with a smile.

Before Beck could move any closer to us, Emily grabbed his arm and shook her head," Beck, you've still got some chores to do!"

We both bit our tongue at the sound of this as we continued toward the exit. Although, inside I felt the same way as Caspian, I didn't want to hurt the poor boy's feelings. Beck's look of joy slowly deteriorated as Emily continued to pull him in the opposite direction.

"O-oh," he stuttered, slowly following along," Well, don't worry! I'll make sure to talk with you tomorrow!"

"I will make an appoint to speak with you then, Beck!" Caspian called reassuringly, but did not stop walking as we migrated to the outside world.

I continued to stifle a laugh as we stepped into the fresh air. Caspian looked at me as though I was crazy just as I burst out laughing when we reached the bridge. It was just so humorous to me that he put on this mask so well that the boy actually believed him. It was utterly awful, but I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of seeing it all.

"And by making an appoint to speak with him, do you mean, hiding away from him once more?" I challenged, still laughing as we crossed over the bridge.

Caspian glared at me, but couldn't help but chuckle softly," I really will speak with him. At least for a little while, I think the kid deserves that much."

"He's really not that much younger than us," I said with a raise of my brow," He's only a bit older than Penelope."

He nodded in agreement," That is a very valid point yet Penelope is a tad more mature than he is."

I chuckled slightly, but just as we turned onto the forest path; I spoke in a more serious tone," When she wants to be."

He looked at me sideways," You have to admit that she is _exactly _like you were when we were making the transition to that age."

"I _was_ _not_ nearly as impudent as that," I defended, trying to make myself seem not as bad as her, but Caspian merely stared at me hard before I cracked, there was no use in arguing the point," Okay, so I maybe I was, but my point is still we are hardly even out of that age yet!"

"You're right," he admitted, with a sigh and nodded," It just seems as though we are much older than that. We've gone through so much…it just feels like we should be older than merely nineteen and twenty years old. It feels as though the last year should have really been ten years."

I had to agree. Basically over the course of a few weeks, our teenage lives were sent spiraling in the opposite of what normal people our age experienced. In that time period, I had experienced more pain than I could ever imagine and seen more changes than I could ever hope for. It still makes my head hurt to even think of those times again.

Then immediately after, Caspian stepped up and took over as King, which was, in itself, a whirlwind. Even though the transition had not been anything overly spectacular and we faced trials that were no where near as severe as we feared, going through all of these events and having responsibilities pushed on us forced maturity to be shown in the both of us. They were not the action-filled, adventurous trials, but trials of maturity.

Despite all of the paperwork that demanded Caspian's signature and all the women that liked to gab in my ear, we were still the adventure-loving, bold people that we were as just a year ago.

"Can you believe this?" I asked him, my hand still locked in his as we walked down the same pathway we had when we were children, trees to the left and right of us" All of this has happened in such a short period of time that…it's still such a bizarre feeling. I remember just yesterday it seems that we were walking down this same path and you dumped me into the river at the end."

A smirk grew on his face as he briefly looked at me before looking away like a culprit," I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"Oh, shut it!" I exclaimed as we entered the forest, lanterns tracing the path, as well as plenty of moonlight," I hardly believe that you don't remember."

He put a look of confusion on his face," So much has happened. I-I- I just don't recall. My apologies for ever offending you, but I haven't the slightest what you are speaking of."

"See, some of us are a little closer to the teenage years than we like to admit," I teased for his lies were awfully made up and I couldn't help but laugh at it and then sigh with a shake of my head," You are just too much sometimes."

"And you aren't?", he answered with a grin on his face, but soon sighed turning his tone to a much more serious one," You do have a point, however. I wake up every morning and cannot believe that I have a whole nation relying on me for its leadership. This last year has simply been…remarkably life-changing for all of us."

"You've done an excellent job thus far," I said to him, looking at him as he kept his eyes on the path ahead.

He laughed to himself," I haven't had much to do thus far. Sure, there were some skirmishes up in the North and a couple of rioters down in the South, but as far as restoring Narnia goes-it has basically restored on its own. Sure, the paperwork is a pain, but I think that I can survive signing my signature to pieces of paper day in and day out."

"I don't think that's entirely accurate," I told him with a smile," I think that you gained their respect by traveling around and seeing all of them. Plus, you redeemed them from a life of awful slavery, I think that they have probably been through enough for awhile. And I hardly believe that you would survive signing papers day in and day out."

By the look in his eyes he gave me as we came to the edge of the path, I knew that he wanted to argue. He wanted to tell me that he was not the only one deserving of King, but I shook my head as I stood in front of him before turning to start back toward the castle.

"I just want to feel like I am doing something to keep us protected," he whispered to me as I looked into his eyes.

"You already have done more than that for these people," I whispered back before squeezing his hand," Be careful what you wish for."

For a moment, he didn't say a word, but just stood there looking at me. I was confused as to what was going on in his head for a moment, but it wasn't long before he was smiling. He kept my hand held tightly before we turned to return up the path lit by lamp posts once more. There was a silence for a few moments, but not an awkward sort of silence. It was actually more of a peaceful one, but soon Caspian broke the silence, just before we reached the castle gates.

"You, once more, make an excellent point," he said," I don't know how I would react if a danger actually did come."

I stopped once more and turned to him before standing on my tiptoes and gently kissing him on the cheek," You would be the king Narnia needs."

* * *

_That Next Morning  
_

_I have had this next portion told to me from word of mouth and have tried in the next section to portray it as best as I can despite the fact that I was not present when this meeting happened._

The buzz of conversation swarmed the room as the leaders of the country migrated into the place of conference. Chairs were set up around the throne room, all of them tall and magnificent looking. Just months ago, malicious, Telmarine men sat in those same seats, dictating the country. Some of the men now entering the room, were completely new to being leaders, while others of them had been leaders of other regions before. Caspian had made the decision before his coronation that he would not allow any of the previous Telmarine men, no matter of what their viewpoint was now, reclaim their role. He found it would be much too risky.

Despite the fact that he had picked his entire council, all of them were still on rather new terms with one another, but that did not stop them from sharing their opinions. Which was what Caspian had asked of them; he didn't want them to be afraid to share their thoughts for Narnia was theirs just as much as it was his. That being said, they must also respect the fact that, though he was young, he was still the one to make the final decision on the matter. Thus far, they had done a fairly good job of complying.

After speaking with several of the men briefly, Caspian took his place on his throne at the peak of the room. Most of the conversations had died out as soon as he took a seat, but there were still some lingering.

"I'd like to call this meeting to order!" he called out while the last few men straggled in.

A small buzz went around the room as they chose who was to give the first word.

It took a couple moments before one of the men in the back of the room took a step forward from his chair. He bowed slightly to Caspian before stepping into the middle of the room, where all could see him. He was the head of the Narnian military and had been out scouting over the last few months to ensure that peace was kept throughout Narnia.

This man wore armor from head to toe, but from looking at his face, one could tell that he was very dark skinned (like most Telmarines were) with dark brown, nearly black curly hair. His eyes were equally black and by looking at this man, one would be able to tell that he had experienced a lot in his life. A scar lay over one of his eyes, deep and thick in the skin, which led to an even larger intimidating factor that this man seemed to have over people. No one knew of his name, for he claimed that it was unimportant for anyone to call him anything other than what he was. General.

Caspian had located him in his travels during the first couple months of traveling from town to town. He proved himself worthy when he basically tore another man to shreds in a local tavern that the troupe happened to be traveling through. Granted, Caspian did not support any sort of bar-fights, but when he learned that this man had been so passionate to protect his family that this other fellow seemed to be threatening; he found something likeable about the fellow. He invited the family to come and live in Telmar so that the man could serve his term as a head of the Telmarine army.

"Your majesty," General said in his usual, deep voice that sounded rather similar to a growl.

"Yes? What have you to share with the council General?" Caspian asked, sitting back in his chair, finding it odd that General was home, standing in front of him versus being out in Narnia, where Caspian had told him to go out and protect. The young ruler kept his gaze set on the mysterious leader of the military, wondering just what it was that he had to share.

The man folded his hands behind his back and looked from man to man as he paced around the middle," Your majesty's army hasn't had the most exciting of jobs over the last few months mostly due to the fact that there has been an unusual peace that has settled over the nation."

The King crossed his arms over his chest, scrutinizing the man as he continued to speak.

"It has been unlike any other thing that I have seen in Narnia, but that's not the point that I want to make today," the fellow said, looking away from the King's gaze," The point I want to make is that I believe I have found the trouble that has been stirring over the last year. The trouble that we have been waiting for."

This was a trait Caspian liked about General: no beating around the bush.

He allowed the room to stay silent for a moment, but none of the men could seem to comprehend what the fellow had just said. They all sat, staring at him, for the longest time. Caspian, equally shocked was the first to speak," What are you talking about?"

"That is _impossible_!" another man, Caspian's advisor named Apollo, cried from his seat," The nation is at peace, my friend!"

The man's eyes shot over to the outspoken man, his eyes with a sudden boldness in them," You dare doubt what I've seen?"

The room began to get out of hand for several men began standing up and yelling all sorts of things at the general, calling him crazy and shouting all of their questions at him at once, while Caspian sat, seemingly in a phase as all of this happened in front of him. However, before any of the advisors could physically remove themselves from their seats, he stood up causing all of them to quiet themselves though most of them still spoke loudly.

"General," Caspian started, rather softly at first, but the men were not listening, which forced him to yell," General!"

The dark eyes met his while the others immediately became silent at the sound of the King's yell," Yes, my lord?"

"I am having a hard time believing myself, so…" Caspian crossed his arms behind his back, still trying to piece this together," Why do you believe this and would you be so kind as to share where this 'evil' is located?"

The truth of the matter was that Caspian was scared of what the general had to say. It made him nervous to think that there was some sort of danger arising, but he could not allow the men to see his fear, so he tucked it away in his heart. Honestly, he did find it hard to believe, or at least that was what he told himself, but there was the possibility…and he had just spoken about this the night before, ironically enough. It would probably be nothing, just as every other little skirmish had been so far.

"My liege," General stepped closer to Caspian on his throne," I began my journey just outside of Telmar and surrounding areas, just as you requested. There was total peace, just as we all say, but there was something else that I felt as I traveled out West toward the uncharted mountain ranges…what they call the 'Western Wild.' Started to get antsy, all of us did…"

Caspian looked at the general incredulously," Now, general, excuse me for interrupting, but if you are telling me that this is all just a 'feeling', then I'm sorry to say that I haven't an interest."

He raised one of his thick, dark eyebrows at the King," The feeling was only the beginning of what we saw, your majesty. Now, if you will allow me to continue."

The young ruler nodded his head and the head of the army continued on with his tale.

"I brought the small troop to the border, right out to the farthest western border of Telmar, just as you commanded," he said, looking directly at the king," After days of traveling through small, peaceful, country towns that were of no danger, we reached one last town, well, ruin of a town. By the time we got there, most of the people had been killed, 'cept for a couple that were left in the tavern. We stopped in to find a lethargic man and his…slightly _wacky _wife."

"Both of them were seated at the bar, while the rest of the men did a thorough search of what was left of the destroyed town. I took a couple of men inside with me, just for safety sake. When I took a seat next to the man, I thought he would jump through the roof. He looked at me with these-these crazed eyes, your majesty. He couldn't stop the shaking either, but I still asked him just what the city had gone through after getting both him and his wife to calm down. They had hardly heard anything of you, my lord, but they did tell me of what had happened to the town."

Caspian nodded once more, prodding the man to continue on with his story. Caspian had done quite a bit of studying on Narnia and its history. The region that the general was referring to was, in fact, known as the "Western Wild", just as he had mentioned earlier. Caspian did not know much of this area, for it was uncharted, but he had known that it was the same place that the White Witch had formed her army. He knew that it did not have a particularly bright past, but it had been of no harm to Narnia thus far and he wasn't particularly worried that it would start now.

"They claimed that it came in the night, whatever _it_ was. Both of them said it was a type of dark magic, spirit-like-thing, but I wasn't so sure if either of them were in the healthiest of mental conditions. They said that they saw…spirits of some sort sweeping through the town…entering homes…they could hear the screams of the people, the women, the children. They both claimed it to be the worst experience of their lives, hearing those they loved die by this supernatural-"

"Please tell me that you don't believe a word of this, your majesty!" another man stood up from his seat, laughing," Supernatural forces? Are we really suggesting that ghosts did this?"

"I'm telling' ya-" the general tried to defend himself, but Caspian stopped him.

"Silence!" he yelled," You will be allowed to speak when the general has finished his tale."

The man glared at Caspian hard before plopping himself down hard. The general looked back at Caspian," I don't know what else to say, but…these two people…they weren't normal and refused to leave their home to come and speak with you."

Caspian, finding it only necessary that he nod, was deep in thought. This was rather odd, but he was still doubtful that it was nearly as bad as the general was making it out to be. Of course, he cared deeply for his nation and all of its inhabitants, but it would not have been unusual for there to be some witch craft still lingering in that area of the nation. With the force of some military, they could easily take care of the problem…or so he thought for the time being.

"You would have had my permission to search the land surrounding the town, General," Caspian said, beginning to pace," You would have still been serving your duty."

"I was planning on doing that," General looked up at Caspin, gulping hard," However, that weird thing about the whole story…the whole troop of men I had with me was dead when we left the tavern."


	3. Courtyard Talk

**Author's Note: I own nothing :)**

Chapter Three: Courtyard Talk

Caspian could hardly believe the words that came out of this military man's mouth. He had ordered for many different troops of men to travel through the country and make sure that peace was, in fact, restored. General was one of the top leaders in the military and it must have taken a lot for him to actually come back. The thought that an _entire_ troop of men dead, was horrific. Yet, Caspian was still a little wary of the situation at hand.

Another round of worried conversation buzzed through the room, forcing Caspian to stand once more," Silence! Please, allow me to at least question the man!"

All of the men looked up to their king, frightful of what was going to happen. Still, it was Caspian's job to keep them calm.

"Now," he said with a clearing of his throat," You mean to tell me, General, that while on your patrol that I assigned you, you stumbled upon a town that was left in ruins other than a run-down tavern. While you and a couple other men investigated the tavern, the rest of your men were exploring the town, is this correct?"

The dark man looked directly at his king and nodded, before Caspian continued retelling, just to confirm that he had, in fact, heard the information correctly.

"And while speaking with the, as you said, rather 'eccentric' tavern-owners, you learn that the killings occurred by some 'supernatural' spirits that haunted the town. They listened to the deaths of their fellow townsmen and were tortured by these 'spirits'. You claim that these people were not mentally stable and refused to come here and speak with me over the matter. And to put icing on the cake, you leave the tavern to gather my men and find all, what is it? Thirty, of them dead?" Caspian asked, raising a brow, hardly able to believe what he had just retold.

There was a pause for a brief moment as General appeared to be making sure that he had retold the account accurately. Before long, his dark eyes met the king's and his head nodded," Just as you said it, my liege."

Caspian sighed," You see, at first, I was going to argue that perhaps the town had been gone for years now and that the sad tavern owners were merely delusional or unstable, like you mentioned. However, one factor that changes the story is that thirty Telmarine men are dead, as of right now."

There was a pause for a moment before the King asked," You are positive that they are dead? You saw their dead bodies?"

General nodded his head," Yes, they were all badly sliced to pieces. They appeared as though they had just been slaughtered in a battle."

"How did _you_ manage to get out of there alive?" Caspian asked, looking at this man hard, trying to figure out just how he was going to handle this situation.

General looked behind him and pointed to two other soldiers standing in the back of the room, who looked rather spooked themselves. He motioned for the both of them to step forward to where he stood and, slowly, they did so," Both of these men would be able to account for what they have seen, and I tell you that I do not know how or why, but when we left that tavern…there was no source of attackers or spirits anywhere. It was only us and the dead bodies."

They both nodded their heads vigorously and Caspian hardly had to question them. They appeared to be permanently scarred. He folded his hands behind his back in thought, while his assistant Apollo stepped forward," King Caspian, I believe that this might mean we have an enemy arising from the shadows?"

"Possibly," Caspian said, looking out one of the windows in the throne room that overlooked the landscape," Or that we just have a couple of strategic protestors, just as we have had for the last few months. This could very well just be a trickster-"

"A trickster able to kill a troop of trained soldiers?" another man in the council asked incredulously," I find this hard to believe."

Caspian shot a look at the man," I'm not saying that they are not dangerous, I'm just saying that they know their land well. To us, that area known as the 'Western Wild', is basically a foreign nation, however, to someone else, they could very well know every loop hole and trick there is to know of that land. There could very well be things out there that we have never seen before, nor have we ever known existed."

"Then, tell us, what are we to do, my lord?" Apollo added, trying hard to be a good aid.

It took several moments for anything to come out of Caspian's mouth, for he was deep in thought. He knew that there could be a very dangerous, harmful force brewing out there, but still, he wanted to be certain before he sent an entire army out West to fight off these men. This could still be something that could be taken care of easily, which was why he was doing what he was about to do.

"General, I thank you for bringing this to my attention. You have been a wonderful leader for the army, thus far, being able to take care of the skirmishes. I trust your word, but I want to have an even more accurate view of the matter which is why I will be sending two more troops of men out with you with two additional leaders. You and one of the two leaders will lead the force back out to this town on the foothills of the mountain, while the other will follow behind. You will go and this time, tell these tavern owners that by the order of the King they are to travel to Telmar and explain the events of what happened to me. I will have paperwork for you to show them, but I also want you to send the other troop up into the mountains and all around the area to find the source of this problem. Have the leader of the second troop stand a ways back and if he has not heard from any of you for two days, then he is to return back to Telmar and further plans will be made from there. Does this make sense?"

All three of the rather dark men nodded their heads and soon, Caspian said," Good, now you may go out to the army reserve and tell them that by the order of the King, you are in need of two troops of thirty men. I will send a notice them right away informing them of the validity of your words."

General nodded his head one last time before saying," We will get this figured out, my lord."

Caspian looked at the man and with a small smile said," You are a leader of the army, I would only expect that much from you. Now, go!"

And with a chuckle, the three men exited the room with a destination of the army reserve just on the outskirts of town.

"You are really trusting that man?" Apollo asked, shaking his head," You are _really_ trusting him?"

"I told you before," Caspian said, staring at the door through which the three men had just exited," when I chose him to be the leader, yes."

"I think you are being awful risky here," another chipped in from his seat," I never have liked the man from the moment he stepped foot in here."

"I have to agree."

Several others buzzed in on the topic and Caspian could see why they would be. General was not the most civilized person, nor was he the most friendly, but Caspian, for some odd reason, trusted this rogue, who he believed was a man to be feared and respected. General had given him no reason to not trust him.

"I understand your emotions on this, men," he said to his council as he stepped down from the throne," However, all I can ask is that you trust me."

Another round of hushed conversations went through the room before Caspian finally said," There may be other topics that we need to discuss, however, I believe that I have just busied myself with another, large matter for the time being. This time tomorrow morning we will meet here. Our meeting for today is adjourned. Enjoy the rest of your day, gentlemen."

And with those last words, Caspian walked out of the throne room with a destination of his study where he intended on reading up on some of his old Narnia books about the history of the land they called, The Western Wild.

* * *

While this was happening, Emily and I were sitting in the courtyard, watching as the gardeners watered the plants and shrubs. I remembered the first time Caspian and I returned here after the war was over…how excited we were to be home…our first kiss. My heart fluttered a little at the sight of the bright flowers and polished trees. Children were running through the courtyard as Emily and I sat, talking.

"How nice it would be to be a child again," I said to Emily with a smile as a little boy chased his sister around the shrubs.

She smirked and looked at me," Yes, they haven't a care in the world, have they?"

"They don't," I said, smiling while they giggled and continued running," They are the blessed ones."

A sigh escaped my mouth. They were the children of one of Caspian's council men by the name of Apollo. Apollo and his wife, Trina, were two of the nicest people that I had ever met. Doctor Cornelius had been the one to recommend Caspian choosing him as one of his cabinet members and he was very right in choosing him. The two of them were in their middle ages, but were very easy to speak with and had plenty of wisdom to share.

Moments later, Emily asked me a question, her voice shaky," Do you mind if I ask you a question that is rather personal?"

I tilted my head and studied the girl's face. She typically didn't ever ask me permission to ask a question, for I had requested that she stop asking my permission and just, well, ask.

Something must have really been on her mind for her to want to ask my permission," Yes, of course, Emily."

"Well," she started, I could tell her voice was nervous," I'm sure you have heard the rumors that the women have started over you and Caspian. I know that the both of you have been close since you were little, f-for I saw you as children running around together, but…it's hard to hear rumors and not think that they are true at times. So, I just wanted to know…are you really going to be queen soon?"

I can imagine that it must have taken Emily quite a while to be able to muster up the nerve to be able to ask. I could see where she was coming from as well because I could only imagine the types of rumors that the women and other servants must have been gossiping about. And for the reason that I respected her boldness, I felt it was necessary to give her an answer she deserved.

"Some days, I feel as though the people, Caspian included, already treat me as queen, Emily. Day in and day out, I hear of women requesting to speak with me. Most of the things I hear from them, especially the older ones is, when is the wedding?" I paused for a moment, smiling at the remembrance of the elder ladies asking me this," And I can tell you honestly that the idea of being queen…is ridiculous. Not an outrageous sort of ridiculous, but it just…blows my mind, I guess because I have always pictured queen as someone much older than myself."

I paused for a moment…that hadn't come out the way I intended, so I continued on.

"But, I don't think that was what you were asking. If you are asking me if Caspian or I have ever discussed marriage, then…I would have to tell you that it has been on a very minimal level. As of now, we are not engaged and I don't really think that we've any plans anytime soon."

Emily nodded, absorbing everything that I said, before saying," I think you'll make an excellent queen. One day, that is."

I shook my head and looked at her sideways," I haven't the first idea about what it means to be queen."

"Nor did Caspian," she replied," But he's doing a fine job. You wouldn't be in it alone, that's for certain. All of us would be here, nothing too drastically would change."

She was right, I guess being queen was basically just a title that they would add to my name. Perhaps, it was just all a mental game that I played with myself. Perhaps, as Emily said, it wouldn't be all that different. Being queen would be hard-work, but it would be nice to be able to be treated with the same respect as Caspian and to be able to actually feel any emotional stress he may be feeling. The thought of a wedding to my best friend wasn't so bad either…

There was still another, small thing on my mind that interrupted what wedding fantasies I could have started to develop.

And that was Peter.

I knew that the Pevensies would never return to Narnia and that never again would I speak with the King that ruled over Narnia for many years…but I couldn't help but have a small hole in my heart that he took with him when he left. I hadn't even known him for a long time, like I had Caspian, but I was still clinging to some of the memories I had shared with him. Even though I had fallen in love with Caspian and that my feelings for him were much too strong to compare with that of anyone else's, I couldn't help but feel guilty about Peter every once in awhile.

"Is there something on your mind, Rosalie?" she asked again, interrupting my thoughts. I noticed that I had been spacing out," Have I overstepped my limits?"

I shook my head, "Caspian and I have gone through a lot, Emily," I explained to her, folding my legs once more," In fact, we almost lost everything that we had spent most of our lives building. The both of us were almost too proud to accept that the other makes mistakes."

She studied my face and nodded. I continued on.

"We would be sitting here for a long time if I went through all of the details, but the point being that we are still in a rebuilding stage, I think. In this stage, I have developed feelings for him that…I didn't think I had, but I think we are still trying to fully forgive the other for what happened. I still have many regrets and I believe he does as well, but we are most definitely heading down the road to total forgiveness," I explained to her, trying to choose my words carefully so that I would not have to delve into any more details that may trigger emotions that I couldn't control.

"I haven't any experience in the area, but I've been told that the best relationships are the ones that experience more than just the happiness that love brings," she said," However, that being said, I would have never guessed that the both of you went through that seeing how happy you are together now. I'm sorry, that must have been awful to think you might have lost your closest friend."

"Yes, that saying is an accurate saying. And, I wish that I could say that I was frightened that I would lose his friendship, but honestly…I didn't even know what I had until it was almost gone. We are both to blame, but I still can't help but feel some guilt for not even caring that I had hurt him for the longest time."

I didn't expect her to be able to come up with an answer to that, actually, I didn't really know why I uttered the last sentence for it wasn't really necessary, but it just happened to, like many of my other statements, fall out.

She nodded her head," Which probably makes you feel as though your time together is even more important."

Was there ink on my face? Before I could say anymore, she quickly covered herself up almost as if she felt she had said too much.

"I don't want to make you talk about this any longer than you must, Rosalie," Emily said comfortingly placing a hand on my own," I know that you have been through a lot and please, I do not want you to say any more than you feel you can trust me with."

I smiled for I knew that Emily would never want to bring any harm to me," I know, Emily. You were merely trying to figure out what was rumor and what was fact."

"And I know all that I was curious of," she replied with a smile.

I noticed that Apollo, the father of the playing children, came walking up to the courtyard from the inside of the castle. He was actually one of the lightest haired people that we had around the castle for most of us were, in fact, Telmarine. Apollo and his family were not natives of Telmar, so their brown hair was actually closer to a shade of blond. He came entering into the courtyard and waved to the both of us, before calling out to his children.

"Emory! Isabella!" he called, looking all around for them, behind me I could hear the snickers of two little children hiding in the bushes.

The man came walking toward Emily and myself, wearing his typical green robes. A look of confusion was on his face as he stood in front of us," Good afternoon ladies, you don't happen to see my children anywhere, do you?"

"We are doing fine," I answered with a smile, still with the sound of little laughter in my head from behind us. Stealthily, I pointed to the bushes without the knowledge of either of the children. Apollo was able to catch this hint and nodded with a smirk.

"Well, that is good to hear," he continued on trying to make it sound as though he was still holding on a conversation with us, while really he was inching closer to the bushes where he soon was pushing aside the bushes to reveal both of his children, cackling. In one sweeping motion he bent down and picked up the younger of the two and grabbed the hand of his daughter, who was older.

Both Emily and I smiled at them as they passed by," Now, wave bye to Lady Rosalie and Emily," he told them quietly, waving along with the two children.

"Buh-bye," Emory said happily, waving his chubby little arm.

"Byeee," Isabella chipped in, her voice chipper.

I waved back, smiling all the way, but before leaving the courtyard, Apollo turned back around.

"Rosalie, you need to stop keeping the King out so late at night!" he called, teasing me of course.

I chuckled at the sound of this before defending," Oh hush, it wasn't _that_ late! In fact, it was probably one of our quicker trips."

Apollo chuckled and adjusted his squirming son to the other arm," He was falling asleep in the meeting! I thought it be only necessary to blame you."

"I-I," I stuttered, still smiling, but unable to come up with a comeback.

"Take it easy, Rosalie," he said, still with a chuckle in his voice," I'm only joking with you. Trina said she saw you both out last night, I just wanted to give you a rough time."

"Thanks," I said smiling before rolling my eyes; Emily leaned over and whispered to me quietly, without interrupting, that she had other chores to tend to. I nodded my head to her as she quickly exited the scene," You all didn't give him too much trouble in your little meeting I hope?"

Apollo looked away for a moment before returning his eyes back to mine," I don't think it is anything too severe. I will let him explain everything to you-" Isabella pulled at her father's robes," I've got to get both of these rascals to their mother."

The little girl was persistent at pulling at her father's robes and just before she could grab it once more, he looked at me," Have a good day, Rosalie."

"The same to you," I answered, still smirking as his daughter pulled him along.

Then I was alone. Nothing but the trees, flowers, and bench beneath me in the courtyard and the sun shining on my back. I had spent a good portion of the day outside and it felt nice just to be able to sit alone. In peace. It also allowed for plenty of time for thinking, which…after talking with Emily…it left a lot of room for that.

Talking about being queen was just something that left me a little flabbergasted afterward. I guess it really should not have seemed that foreign to me…since it was going to happen before long, but I had not ever thought heavily on the topic before. Just as I had told Emily, I felt like some of the duties that were placed on a queen were already being put on my shoulders. It wouldn't have been that different, right? The truth of the matter was that I really did love Caspian. Despite what had happened with Peter, I had always had feelings for the Telmarine boy whom I had grown up with. And even though some days were harder than others when I thought back on what happened with Peter, I couldn't imagine anyone better for me to marry.

After thinking all of this, I shook my head sharply and tried to pull myself out of fantasy land. We hadn't even discussed marriage much…it was rather silly for me to be thinking this, really. This really was just a load of gossip that the women around the castle liked to start between cooking meals and watering glowers.

It was not like he was going to be asking me anytime soon, for Narnia surely did not need a queen that quickly.

Right?

**Author's Note: Alrighty, so I kind of liked writing this chapter. I thought that it would be sweet to see a girl-to-girl chat between Emily and Rosalie before I delve into the plot too far. Anyways, love you guys and I hope you enjoyed! Drop a review and let me know what you think so far. J**


	4. An Unexpected Submission

**Author's Note: Alright, so if I owned Narnia, I probably would not be writing my stories on FF. :)  
**

Chapter Four: An Unexpected Submission

I spent the rest of the day sitting in the courtyard, as well as speaking with some of the women who were passing by the castle. Whenever dinner time came nearer, I went down to find Penelope, sitting down by the river on her own. She appeared to be quite peaceful and I actually considered not saying anything to her, but I took steps closer to her anyways. Dinner was just around the corner.

"Are you going to get upset with me if I say that it's almost dinner time and you need to come inside?" I asked tentatively, walking up beside her, watching the water trickle by.

She looked at me sideways and smiled before looking back out to the river," No, Rosalie."

I chuckled softly," Well, that's good because that's what I am going to say."

Slowly, she pulled herself up off of the rock and nodded," Sounds good. And I really hope that you honestly didn't think I would get mad at you for that."

I let out a deep breath," I don't know…you've gotten upset over other things like it before."

She scrunched her eyebrows together before nodding and releasing a sigh," Yeah…I'm sorry about that."

That was a rather abrupt surprise. I didn't think that she would actually apologize for anything, in fact, after I chose my words I thought she might get angry at me all over again, but…she acted differently.

"I think I can manage to forgive you," I said with a chuckle and as we came closer to the castle, we noticed troops of soldiers leaving the city. This was a rather strange sight to see…I wondered just what this could mean, but they were small troops so it could have very well been a small patrol headed out to other regions of Narnia. We came closer and came to the footsteps of the bridge.

"What are they doing?" Penelope asked me, tossing her bow over her back as we crossed the drawbridge.

I scrutinized the army and saw the newly appointed head of the army, a fellow by the name of General, leading the men into the forest. I had never felt totally comfortable around this man, but Caspian had sworn that he was reliable. Despite what he said, there was always a chill that was sent through my body whenever I saw him. I found it odd that he was leading this patrol out…

"I don't know," I whispered to her as we stood, stopped in the middle of the bridge, looking back," But, let's not worry on it. I'm sure that they're only going out for a scout, nothing serious."

Penelope continued to stare at them hard as I tried to move forward," They don't look like they're just going on scout, Rose."

"I'll make sure to ask Caspian about it sometime," I told her quietly as she finally pulled herself to turn around, but not without looking back once more. And as we returned into the castle, I tried to put that image out of my head as best I could and tell myself that it was merely just another scout.

* * *

Dinner was rather quiet that evening for Caspian was absent. I found it strange that he should miss out, but Apollo assured me that Caspian did not wish to be disturbed and had requested to have dinner brought up to him. I nodded along as he said this, but had decided in my head that I would make an appoint to go and see him afterward. Even though dinner was more quiet than usual, there was still a pleasant buzz circling around the table.

Typically, dinner could have lasted hours for everyone sat around talking, but I was finished with my meal and my conversations in less than one hour. I noticed that night fall had already come whenever I finished. The town had already calmed down greatly from what I could see as I passed by a window alongside Penelope.

Penelope had asked that I come back to our quarters and assist her with some of the work that Doctor Cornelius had assigned for her to do. Even though she may have gotten a break from lessons earlier, being in a war did not exclude her from furthering her education. Luckily, it was not mandatory for me to take lessons anymore, but I still met with Doctor Cornelius frequently to talk over matters of the sort. I did plenty of reading on my own as well.

After several long, tedious hours of trying to help my younger sister in solving her arithmetic, I finally gave in and told her that she needed to speak with Doctor Cornelius in the morning. Reluctantly, she agreed before she was off to her bedchambers to prepare for bed. Before I allowed myself to change for bed, I silently snuck out of the room to go down to Caspian's quarters, finding it odd that I still had not heard from him at all that day.

Whenever I gently knocked on the door once and then twice, I noticed that no one came to the door, nor did I hear the sound of footsteps traveling. Finding this rather odd, I wobbled the door knob and found it to be open. Cautiously, I stepped inside the King's study. My heart was beating quickly, anticipating the worst. At the desk, sat Caspian, head stuck in the book, fast asleep from what I could see. He was still dressed in his full robes from the day and I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of him. His face was literally pounded right into the crease of the book and a soft snore was being emitted from his mouth that lay slightly ajar.

Approaching him, I noticed that he was reading a Narnia history book. Caspian grown to know his history very well over the last year so the fact that he had gotten the book out made me wonder even more. Just what could he be looking up? Softly, I placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently.

"Caspian," I whispered, trying to get him to move," Caspian."

I figured that he must have spent the day studying this, whatever _it_ was, and overworked himself.

After several more times of saying his name, his brown eyes finally fluttered open and looked in my direction. A yawn escaped his mouth immediately after and I hadn't a clue if he even knew who I was. It took a couple moments for him to finally realize that he wasn't sleeping any longer.

"Looks like someone's been working too hard," I said to him quietly as I pulled the book out from under his grasp.

"Wha-where-oh no!" he exclaimed sitting upright and looking at me with concerned eyes," Please tell me I haven't been sleeping this whole time. I-I can still go out with you, just-" he started to stand up, but I pushed him softly back into his chair while I turned to go put the book away.

"Don't worry about it," I told him, searching the shelves for the spot where he had taken the book from," You obviously need some rest."

He tried to stifle a yawn, but couldn't help and try to defend his case more," I really am able to. I'm-" another yawn came from his mouth as I slid the book into the bookcase.

"How long have you been shut up in here?" I asked him softly, walking back toward the desk.

He looked at me like a little boy would look at his mother after doing something naughty," Since lunch."

"Lunchtime?" I exclaimed, my eyes growing wide," You've been studying that book since lunchtime?"

He nodded his head before trying to make an argument," I-I can explain. There's so much I need to tell you-"

"Caspian," I said again with a smile as I placed my hand atop of his," Give it a rest for tonight. Try and get some sleep."

"Don't you-" he tried to spit out again, but I shook my head and placed a finger over his lip.

He desperately wanted to tell me all that he had learned and ,quite honestly, I would have loved to sit there and talk with him, but the look in his eyes told me that this king needed his rest.

"Go to bed now," I told him, looking him straight in the eye," That's an order."

He laughed softly," I guess you are right."

Carefully, he stood up and tried to steady himself. The look in his eyes still told me that he was very tired and wobbly. I placed a hand softly on his arm and guided him out of his study. After several steps, he looked at me again," You best be getting back. I don't want anyone…well…getting the wrong idea…if you know what I mean."

I hadn't really thought about the outside view of my leaving late at night to go and check on Caspian. There were plenty of eyes watching the king at almost all times and seeing as I was the love interest of the him…we didn't need anymore rumors starting. I nodded my head before glancing over at the door.

"Promise me you will get some sleep," I whispered to him one last time as he leaned in and kissed me gently.

Through the kiss, I felt the sides of his lips curl upward," Of course."

His voice was soft, but yet husky enough to send a chill through my body as his breath met my skin. Just as I stepped away to open the door once more, I felt him grab my hand," I really am sorry that I couldn't go out with you tonight."

I smiled and looked down at his hand in mine before squeezing it gently," I understand. It's alright... I love you."

"And I you," he replied, still smiling as I stepped through the door.

With one last smile, he released my hand and I left, sneaking back down the hallway to my own quarters, careful not to let anyone see me. I couldn't help but feel my heart beating out of my chest and a smile play on my face every time after Caspian's lips met mine.

* * *

_Once more, I find myself exempt for this portion of the story, so bear with me as I tell a piece that I was not present to witness with my own eyes._

"Mrs. Gale, the council appreciates you coming forward, but-" Apollo started, that next morning as they took time to take to account some of the concerns of the citizens, but Mrs. Gale was a woman, who did not particularly like not hearing the answer she originally wished to hear.

"Now, young man! You listen to me, I've got children who run around my yard every day!" the elderly woman scolded Apollo, shaking her finger at him.

Caspian sat on the throne, fingers massaging his temple as he listened to the woman complain about children laughing, playing, talking, skipping, frolicking, in her yard. He stifled a chuckle listening to the woman, but had to be careful for he did not want to gain her disrespect. Still, he couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the children who, he assumed, were only being, well, children.

"Ma'am, I understand, but-" Apollo's eyes were shooting to Caspian for some answer, but Caspian's eyes only widened as he shrugged, no advice.

Another man from the opposite side of the room stepped forward," Mrs. Gale, I assure you that we will have someone look into it, but our time has seemed to slip away from us. If you find that within the week, the problem still persists, return to us and we shall have it fixed."

The elderly woman's gaze shot over to the man as she started to get rowed up once more, but before she could two of the gentlemen in the back of the room stepped forward to grab her arms. Gently, they tried to ensure her that her case would be heard, but she was still yelling all sorts of insults the whole way. As soon as she was out of earshot, Caspian shot a look at the man who had ended the meeting.

"You really want to hear more of that?" he asked the man dubiously.

The man chuckled, sitting back down," Of course not. It only puts off the problem for now. I actually wouldn't be surprised if she forgets about it by next week."

"She sounds rather determined," Apollo argued, raising a brow.

"Never mind this for the time being," a man by the name of Marcus added from Caspian's side, another council member," We've come here to 'catch up', in a sense, would this be accurate?"

The group of men agreed and Caspian looked at the Marcus , hoping he would elaborate. Marcus had lived in Telmar for the reign of Miraz as well, and had been a close friend of Caspian's father.

"Yes, Marcus," Apollo said, Caspian's head turned to him as Apollo spoke," Yesterday's meeting actually came about rather unexpectedly. We had originally planned to inform you of some other happenings around the castle, but General surprised us with a situation that we found to be of utmost importance."

Caspian nodded, looking from man to man. These meetings were typically a time for them to inform him of anything that he was unaware was happening throughout Telmar and Narnia.

Marcus, Apollo, and some of the other men looked at one another tentatively, almost as if wondering when would be an appropriate time to speak. Caspian furrowed his brow in confusion as they all sat in silence," If one of you has something to share with me, please go on with it."

A different man by the name of Thomas, stepped forward. He and his wife were Telmarine and lived under Miraz. He was in his middle ages, rather stocky, but never the less, Caspian always valued the opinion that he and his wife gave for they chose not to live in the castle walls. They chose that they wanted to share the life of every day citizens.

"Your majesty," Thomas said respectfully with a small bow as he stepped forward, still glancing nervously to the men around," I think it's best that we be bold with what we are saying. There's been talk going around the town, castle, and nation. And we have done some research of our own."

There was a pause as Caspian adjusted himself on the throne. Trying to figure out just what was going on," What sort of talk? What's going on?"

Thomas breathed in sharply," Talk of you and your companion, Lady Sopespian."

Caspian furrowed his brows once at the mention of Rosalie. Where were they going with this? Caspian shifted his eyes over to Apollo to try and receive some sort of answer, but received nothing.

"Lady Sopespian has been living under the castle's roof for over a year now," Marcus added from his seat," Now, all of us know that Rosalie was previously a resident of the castle when her father was under the lordship of your father first and then later under Miraz, making her a 'royal' citizen, so to say."

Caspian's eyes narrowed as he looked at Marcus," Yes…"

Apollo sighed before looking at Caspian," All of us know the situation between you and Rosalie, Caspian. However, it is our job to follow laws. _All_ laws that have ever been set. After some studying, I thought it would be appropriate to bring to your attention an old law, one of the first to be set in place. This law states that the castle is open to be the residence of any royalty and their family."

"But Rosalie-" Caspian started, and Thomas was the one to interrupt.

"Would no longer be considered a 'royal' citizen anymore. The law states that the family members have exactly one year after the end of their relative's term to find other lodgings before lodgings are assigned to them," Thomas explained, but Caspian was still sorting things out for himself.

" What about others? What about the young Beck boy, or Emily? They reside at the castle and there is no limit on how long they must stay!" Caspian exclaimed, beginning to become angered with this surprise.

"You are correct, your majesty, however," Apollo started once more," They would be considered servants. They are technically property of Narnia which ensures them life in the castle assuming that they do not end their term prematurely."

Caspian looked away, on the verge of exploding. Were they really saying that they were going to move Rosalie from the castle? Away from her home? He wouldn't allow it. He was king and had the final say. They could always make a change to the law, right? Perhaps that was easier said than done. After moments of allowing himself to boil, he finally spoke…

"So what are you saying?" he asked them heatedly," We just kick her out? Because I will not stand for that. You know-"

"Yes, my lord, we do know," Marcus said, interrupting him before he could let off anymore steam," That is why we've a proposition for you. A submission for you and Rosalie to consider."

He stared at the men for a hard moment before Apollo spoke," We all know of your relationship with Rosalie for we have all seen it. I don't think it necessary for me to describe the details, but it would be safe to say that the people of Telmar have witnessed this as well. Plenty of times, Trina and I have spoken of how strong of a young lady Rosalie is. From speaking with these other who have seen her as a child, she has always been a leader."

"I have seen the waiting quarters during the day. I have seen the women lining up to speak with her. They respect her and that's a hard trait to find in young women," Marcus added sincerely.

"Wha-?" Caspian started, but he could not get anything in.

"We are already breaking a law, Caspian. It has been more than a year since the death of her father and, legally, she nor her sister should not be living in the castle walls anymore," Apollo stated, but allowed for a pause," To prevent making you say goodbye to her, why not make her our queen?"

**Author's Note: Alright, so I apologize if the story has not been the most exciting thus far, but basically from this point on we have got a lot of drama that is going to be coming into play, just as it did in R.S. I'm having a lot of fun writing this so let me know what you think of it or how I can improve! Thanks guys.**

**TennisQueen123**


	5. Under Pressure

**Author's Note: I own nothing :)**

**Here's another chapter, it's a little shorter.**

Chapter Five: Under Pressure

Caspian was silent.

Ever since the day she had sat next to him at the dinner table when he was just six years old. He knew that he would never be able to separate himself from this girl, this absolutely wonderful companion that he had found. The thought of marriage…had crossed _his_ mind…numerous times. However, things had changed when Miraz had been king.

Everything changed.

He began to develop feelings for someone else and had he not come to his senses sooner-Rosalie would have been gone. He was lucky to be able to make amends to the girl who he had grown to love so dearly. And even still, to that day, they were still in a forgiveness stage…some days he wondered in a piece of her heart was still devoted to the former High King. Though she told him daily that she was sorry and that she did, in fact, love him…he couldn't help but be curious.

"What say you Caspian?" Apollo asked him tentatively," Surely, this would not be any problem?"

Caspian swallowed, shaking his head," It's just so…short notice."

"Had we known earlier," Thomas said," We would have told you, but just days ago we discovered this."

He nodded, understanding this entirely, but still unable to comprehend the idea of asking Rosalie to marry him. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he loved her dearly and that she was the only one qualified to be the Queen of Narnia. The only one qualified to be _his_ queen. He just wished that he had more time…more time to let the wound settle.

"This is an important decision," a man from the back of the room chipped in, standing in the shadow with a hood pulled over his head. It did not take long for the man to step forward and reveal himself to be Doctor Cornelius," Isn't a holy ceremony such as marriage something that should be determined by the man wishing to ask for his lady's hand?"

All eyes looked to the man, slightly in awe. It was rare that Doctor Cornelius should come to the meetings and whenever he did-he was respected greatly.

Apollo was the first to speak after the slight pause," We haven't much of a choice. The law has already been broken-"

"And is it not you all who write the laws?" the older man challenged, looking around to each of them," Is it not you all-"

"Doctor Cornelius," Caspian stopped him short. Perhaps…this was happening for a reason. Perhaps this was his chance to be straight with Rosalie, but would she feel as though she was being obligated to marry him? Would she feel pressured to? There was only one way he would know…," It is not a problem."

"But, Caspian, what will Rosalie say of this?" the wise man asked him again, looking confused as he came closer.

"I pray she will say yes," Caspian said with a small chuckle, trying to lighten the rather serious mood.

Doctor Cornelius did not find the joke as humorous as the other men of the council seemed to find it," You're talking about marriage, Caspian. This is not something to be taken lightly. It is not a decision that can be made overnight."

Caspian dropped his smile and nodded with his mentor," I agree, but I would also argue that I have not made this decision overnight. Doctor Cornelius, I have wanted to ask Rosalie's hand since the day I met her."

His professor swallowed hard and nodded his head before saying," Then what has stopped you, my boy?"

The young king shifted uncomfortably, recalling the memories that were still so fresh in his head. He could not seem to pick the right words, but the only thing that came out was," Too much. Too much to describe, but…I think that we have veered back onto the right path. I think we have our differences and our similarities. We both have our faults…but isn't marriage about sacrificing pieces of yourself?"

Cornelius nodded his head, but Caspian felt as though the man still was not completely convinced. He looked up at the king with an understanding nod before saying," I support your decision, but please…heed my word."

Slowly, the man stepped back. Caspian knew what Cornelius was warning him of and he really did take his words to heart…but perhaps this was the opportunity he needed to ask Rosalie. This was the chance he had to prove to her that it was her. And it always had been. And it always would be.

"Well, then," Apollo started once more, clearing his throat," I think we are all in agreement. There is to be a marriage in the castle soon."

"She hasn't said yes yet," Caspian shot the man a look, sending another roll of laughter through the men.

"Very true," Marcus commented," And this is why, to prevent us from breaking this law to an even more extremity, we are giving you two days to ask for the fair lady's hand. In the next month, the ceremony will be held here at the castle."

The words hit Caspian hard.

"_Two days?"_ he asked, stuttering the words slightly," You're mad."

Apollo sighed," Legally, we must. A year has already passed and as quickly as we can arrange for this happen, the better."

"You said there wouldn't be a problem," Marcus said, looking at the king warily.

Caspian nodded in agreement," Yes, but that was before I knew that I would be asking either today, tomorrow, or at the latest, the day after that. And before I knew that the actual ceremony would be month from today."

The young king had hoped that he would have some more time to speak everything over with Rosalie. He wanted to have at least some time to make sure that the wounds of the passed really were cleared up, but no matter how hard he argued with the men, they still brought up the legal aspect. Without delving into any details, Caspian tried to explain how many emotional trials needed to be settled. Despite the fact that the men supported Caspian and would never try to bring him harm, they still told him that this was his one option unless he wanted to see Rosalie leave the castle along with Penelope.

Two days…and in the next month…the ceremony. How would she ever respond to this? How would _he_ respond to this?

"What am I going to do?" the young king exclaimed later, this time in the comfort of Doctor Cornelius's study.

The older man was strolling throughout the bookshelves, acting as calm as ever while he placed the books in their place along the walls. While strolling back to where his former student sat he said," Well, you tended to make a joke the last time I gave you advice. I see no reason as to why you would need my advice now."

Caspian ran his fingers through his hair, stressed out. So maybe he had disrespected Doctor Cornelius, but that didn't mean that he no longer needed his word," I am sorry, doctor. Please, give me some advice. Please, tell me something. I thought I would have more time…"

"Why, surely you did not think that you would be given another year to think on it, now did you?" the professor asked Caspian, treating him like the child he still was.

To be honest, yes. Maybe not to that extreme, but yes. Caspian had thought that he would be given plenty of time to think this over, but thinking back on it…he found this to be a rather foolish thing to think. Of course he wouldn't have been given much time…but two days…it just sounded threatening.

A sigh was released from Caspian's mouth," I shouldn't have, but I did."

Cornelius shook his head, trying to discover just what advice to give, but he soon found a sigh coming from his mouth. Many years he watched Rosalie and Caspian frolic about as children and have the best of time together. Anyone in the castle could have predicted the marriage that would come in the future. Although Cornelius did not like the short notice of this marriage, he still thought that Rosalie would most likely say yes. Caspian was her closest companion, from what he could tell. Why was Caspian fretting over this? Why was Caspian asking his advice?

The professor took a seat beside his pupil and placed a hand on his shoulder," Has something happened between you and Rosalie?"

Caspian didn't meet the man's eyes, but merely looked up to the ceiling, obviously upset," When we were fighting for the revolution…Rosalie grew very angry with me. The anger she had for me, I returned. We couldn't even stand to be in the same proximity of one another, professor. I don't wish to relive exactly what happened, but my mistake almost cost Rosalie her life," he released a sigh," I was lucky that she ever forgave me. I don't deserve her forgiveness, but it was…by the grace of Aslan that she would ever look at me the way she had. She fell in love with someone else in the time that we were quarreling. As did I…"

"Ahh," Doctor Cornelius nodded his head understandingly before speaking," Things have obviously become better between the two of you. It seems as though things are just as they were. You feel that Rosalie still has feelings for this other fellow? Have you any feelings for the other gal?"

Caspian shook his head," I think that being with someone else, briefly, showed me how much I cared for Rosalie. I think it opened my eyes as to how miserable I would be without her, but…I have a feeling that she has not done the same thing. Sometimes, I wonder how she copes with his leaving. I love Rosalie with all of my heart professor, please believe that and I know that she cares for me just as dearly, but I feel as though a piece of her is still elsewhere. Is still with him even though he is no longer in Narnia."

He scrutinized the young king's face for a long hard moment before saying," Was it the Pevensies? Are these the two you are referencing?"

Somberly, he looked over to his professor and nodded," Yes."

"Have you spoken with Rosalie lately over this?" The doctor asked again," Have you asked her how she felt?"

"No, for I do not wish to bring any more pain to her by bringing him up again," he said quietly, almost whispering.

"Listen to me, my boy," Cornelius whispered, noticing that Caspian was on the verge of tears and obviously upset by all of this," You've got a duty to this country now. You've got to set an example for the rest of the country to follow. I wish that I could help you in changing the law so that Rosalie would be able to stay here unlimited until you felt the wound had passed, but that is not realistic to think now. Here is what I suggest you do, talk with Rosalie either tonight or tomorrow night, for those are your only two options. Tell her everything that you feel, _everything_ that is in your heart…make that known to her, even if you have told her millions of times before. Tenderly, ask her how she feels and explain to her the situation that you have been put into. All you can do is say how you feel and how she feels…well that is her business."

Caspian looked into the twinkling eyes of the old man before saying," You really want me to tell her about all of this? You do not think that she will think I merely just marrying her because I have to?"

"My boy," the professor shook his head," As long as you tell her what your heart feels first, I do not think that she could ever turn you down. From what I have witnessed, she looks at you with just as much care. And, knowing Rosalie, she likes to know the reasoning behind everything."

Nodding with a smirk on his face, the young king arose to his feet," Thank you for everything."

Doctor Cornelius rose to his feet as well and smiled at the boy who he had practically brought to raise," I am always here to talk to you."

With a smile, the man turned and without another word, left to enter the realm where he was king. Where people looked up to him. Where he was the one who had to give the advice.

**Author's Note: I originally had different plans for this chapter, but I felt it was kind of necessary for Caspian to talk with Doctor Cornelius since he is Caspian's mentor. I will make sure to post the next chapter soon because I know you guys want to see what happens! Thanks all :) Make sure to let me know what you think!  
**


	6. Strange Happenings

**A/N: All of the characters and Narnia and such, not mine. Except for the stuff you don't recognize, but yeah, Narnia and all its inhabitants are C.S. Lewis's property.**

Chapter Six: Strange Happenings

_~Two Days Later~_

"I can't let you in there, Miss Rosalie!" Beck cried, he stood, arms spread across the length of the door, legs mirroring the arms over the bottom of the door that led into Caspian's study.

"Beck," I folded my arms over my chest, determined to get in," Please, let me in there. I must speak with Caspian!"

Sweat began to drip down the young man's face as his eyes shift nervously back and forth, trying to be a strong," No, I was given s-strict rules t-t-that I was to f-follow."

I could tell that it wouldn't take much longer for him to cave in. He was already starting to stutter. And I really did love Beck to pieces, however, whenever he tried to stand in the way of getting something done…he could be quite the little pest. Releasing a sigh, I looked right into his dark eyes," _Please_, Beck, I haven't seen him in the last two days and haven't a clue as to how he is!"

Just then, a thundering woman's voice echoed through the corridor.

"Beckett! Beckett!" Lady Trina's, the wife of Apollo, voice rang through the hallways. She was the only woman who called him by his full name and when she did…he jumped.

The sound of her voice caused Beck to jump right out of the doorway, which allowed me access to the door. Quickly, I scurried into Caspian's study. I heard Beck's frantic, startled cry as he noticed that I was no longer in front of him. I heard the door start to fly open before Trina's voice beckoned him once more.

Smirking to myself, I made my way deeper into his study and noticed that it was empty. I walked all around the desk, noticed that there were a couple of pieces of partridge on his desk, but paid no mind of it. I continued looking all around before making my way over to his own balcony. It, like the study, was empty. I found this rather odd that Caspian was not in his study…why would Beck be keeping such a close eye over it? Why was he so set on keeping me out?

After doing a couple more searches, I determined that Caspian was most definitely not in there. I made my way back to the exit and softly closed the door behind me. Perhaps, there was some sort of meeting or…something. I hadn't a clue what could have been going on that was so important (I was rather getting frustrated with playing these games), but as soon as I left his study Trina's voice was then calling my name.

"Rosalie! Darling, Rosalie, please come here!" the maternal voice called and I immediately turned to see the tall woman standing at the end of the corridor.

Quickening my haste, I was soon in front of the lady. A look of confusion was still planted on my face from the strange happenings of late.

"Yes? Lady Trina?" I asked her just as I was approaching the light haired woman who appeared to be wearing a worried expression.

As soon as I was within arm's reach, I felt her grab me into a tight hug. I always enjoyed talking to Trina because whenever I looked into her chestnut brown eyes, it reminded me of my mother's and I could at least have some sort of a maternal figure to look up to when I saw her. Both of her children were rather small and I think that she enjoyed being able to speak with me as if I were her oldest daughter.

"Dear Rosalie!" she exclaimed before allowing me to step away, still not releasing my arm," I haven't the opportunity to speak with you in quite some time now!"

I nodded my head in agreement, equally pleased to see her as well, but still curious as to just what had happened with Beck.

Smiling, I replied," As have I. Times have started to become busy," there was a pause," But, where did Beck run off to?"

"Oh, you know Beck," she assured me with a chuckle," Always running off somewhere. Never really doing the original task intended for him. There was actually some other business that needed to be attended to elsewhere."

I nodded, looking up at her," It appears to be that way," I laughed again," He's quite the character."

"That he is," she agreed as we started down the stairwell.

Another silence fell upon us and I found it be the perfect opportunity to ask about the whereabouts of Caspian.

"Speaking of Beck, he was actually trying fairly hard to keep me out of seeing the King," I told her," You wouldn't happen to know where our majesty has been keeping himself hidden away to, do you? I haven't seen him for nearly two days now!"

I watched as Trina nodded along, listening to each and every word intently before simply saying," Well, I'm sure that he is only busy. You must keep in mind that anything can come up being King."

She was right, of course, but I thought that maybe, perhaps, she could have given me more of an answer than that. Not speaking with Caspian over the last two days had been absolute torture for there was so much I wished to speak with him about. There was so much that I wished to say, but how was I ever to say it if he was always locked up away from me somewhere?

"Yes," I agreed, but soon found a rebuttal," However, he normally always informs me when he is free. I find it odd that I've heard nothing of him over the last two days. It's quite a long time to go without talking to a person whom you speak with daily."

A small smile played on her lips as we reached the bottom of the stairwell, did she know more than what she was telling? Was there something she wasn't telling me? Of course, the smile could have meant anything, but I couldn't help but notice that even Trina was being rather distant with me. And rather suddenly too. It seemed as though right when I mentioned the King; she turned vague.

"I haven't a clue, dear," she soothed once more as we stood in the congested castle corridor, with an unusual amount of servants passing through the hallway. Typically, I spoke with Trina for many hours at a time, but there was something going on. I watched her eyes look around the hallways, as if she were searching for something or someone. A certain anxiousness hung about her, a feature I typically didn't see.

"Apollo hasn't-" I started, trying to get her to say more, but she was distracted once more by a Beck sprinting out of the horse stables, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"Beck, I thought that I told you to-" she looked at me and placed a hand on my arm comfortingly," Dear, I'm sorry, I've got to check on something."

I stood there dumbstruck. Had she really just walked away? Had she really just left me standing there, jaw dropped about to say more? What had gotten in to her? Please, understand, that I did realize she was a busy woman, but she had never just abandoned me as we were talking.

"We'll talk later, Rosalie!" she called back over her shoulder, I think, but I didn't hear for I was already walking in the opposite direction toward the stables.

I didn't know what the big secret was, but I was already tired of being the one left out of it. I hadn't seen Caspian for nearly two days, Trina had abandoned me, Emily was scarcely seen, and even my own sister, Penelope, wasn't training for archery or speaking with me, which meant that something had to be going on. Apollo was always with Caspian and always kept track of him, how odd it was that just as I began to mention him…Trina went running off.

"Lady Rosalie!" a younger servant cried, I didn't recognize him immediately, but still gave him my attention," You must come quickly!"

Finally, maybe something, anything that could give me some sort of indication as to the oddities that had been happening over the last couple of days. The young boy started running down the corridor and I was quick to follow. My heart fluttered at the thought of actually doing _something_. I followed her all the way out to the stables, where there were many people gathered around Kingslee's stall.

"Get out of here! I told you, I'm fine!" I heard a familiar voice defend from the ground, my sister was obviously trying to get someone to back away from her.

My excitement turned to dread as I heard her voice, obviously agitated. I could only imagine what she had gotten herself into as I made my way through the small congregation. There, in the hay, sat Penelope. By the way the two soldiers were standing around her, it appeared she had been injured. Despite what she said. I noticed her ankle looked rather swollen.

"Lady Penelope," one of the men tried to soothe," You can't walk on your own. Your ankle is too swollen."

"My ankle," she defended, pulling herself up against the side of the stall, breaking from their grip. A wince was growing on her face as the weight on her ankle increased, she tried hard covering up the pain, but it was evident she would be going no where as just when she stepped away from the stable wall; she fell face first into the hay.

I noticed that Kingslee was rather antsy in her stall, anxiously pacing around. I tried calming her softly by placing my hand on her face before turning my attention to Penelope. Had she really tried riding Kingslee? Was she that daft?

I shook my head and gently pushed aside the two trying to help her," Thank you for your effort, however, I've got it from here."

Obediently, the two stepped away from her and began to exit the stable. Quickly, I shoved my arm under both of hers and started to relieve the weight from her ankles. The crowd dispersed slowly as I assisted my sister in walking," Just what did you intend to do in riding Kingslee? I've told you that she hardly responds to anyone."

"She let me ride her once when I was younger!" She tried, but noticed her story wasn't working on me as we hobbled along before she admittedly sighed," I needed to ride out to the market to get something for Lady Trina."

"Why didn't you just ride Jericho?" I asked, referring to the horse that Penelope had received as a gift from Caspian," Considering he is _yours_?"

She sighed, hating to be found caught," Kingslee's much faster and this was something that needed to be done in a hurry."

I furrowed my brows, curious as to what this could be. I said nothing for a little while as we hobbled along through the stable. Not knowing whether to be upset with her over trying to sneak out on Kingslee or further interrogate her on just what she was trying to do because her, like me, normally didn't try doing anything risky unless prompted. Before I could do either, we were interrupted by a group of men just as we entered back into the castle. All three of them were dressed in long robes and looked well trimmed, it didn't take long for me to recognize them as no other than the King, Apollo, and Marcus, both of them his advisors.

Running up from behind was, of course, Beck, sprinting as fast as he could, yelling," Lady Penelope's hurt!"

I looked over to see Penelope rolling her eyes. She tried putting weight down on her foot quickly to prove that she really was okay, but by the looks of her swollen ankle…it wasn't going to happen. She looked right at me," Please, tell them not to make a big deal about it."

I nodded and just as I turned over to the men to say something, they had already swept their arms under her and were starting to lift her off the ground. Before Apollo or Marcus could lift her up, I stopped them," Listen, she really isn't-"

"Her ankle's the size of a melon!" Beck exclaimed, staring at the swollen ankle on my sister.

An exasperated sigh was released from her mouth again as Caspian stepped forward. I looked at him hard. How odd it was that he appear out of no where to my sister's side! As the men slipped their arms under my sister, I stepped away and tenaciously kept watch on my frustrated sister. A party was beginning to form around her once more.

"Lady Penelope-" Apollo tried urging her onward," We must-"

"Please! It's just a hurt ankle, I don't need an entire escort entourage just to take me to have it wrapped," she argued trying hard to shake him off, but as she did she placed weight on her ankle and squealed.

"What is it you desire, Penelope?" Caspian finally asked, taking a step closer to the girl whom he would have taken care of like he would a sister.

A tear came down her face from the pain," Just take me to get it wrapped. No one else."

He nodded his head and looked to Apollo," Let me take her there myself, please."

"You're sure?" he asked, as the King slipped his arm under Penelope's weight.

Just as the two men and Beck stepped away and the other people standing around had scattered, Caspian looked over at me. I knew from his eyes that he wanted to say something. I knew that there were words planted in his apologetic eyes, but I stood there with my arms crossed as he picked up Penelope. He started to walk forward, with my injured sister in his arms and as he passed I felt his whisper in my ear.

"Please, will you do the honor or having dinner with me tonight?" his voice, barely audible rang in my ear.

I furrowed my brow before slowly nodding my head, slightly baffled, but very relieved as well," I think I could manage that. You've got some explaining to do," I teased.

"Of course," he replied as smile appeared on his face," Good bye, until then," he whispered, ever so softly before continuing to carry my sister away.

How wonderful it felt it have dinner planned with the young man whom I hated to be separated from.


	7. His Final Plea

**A/N: I own nothing. Unfortunately.**

Chapter Seven: His Final Plea

"How's my sister doing? Have you heard? " I asked the servant tending to me that evening, Emily was out once again. The lady's fingers were lacing up the back of the, dainty gown that had been picked out for me to wear to dinner. The color of the dress was a very light rose color, a thin layer of lace laid over the top of the dress.

"I heard she walked herself out of the medical wing," the servant told me with a smile on her face," She's quite the trooper, I'd say."

I released a sigh, still quite amazed at the quality of this, not elaborate, but just elegant piece of clothing that she had put on me. Staring into the mirror, I wasn't a girl who was a very big fan of dresses and frills, but this was a different piece of work altogether," She's much too proud, but…I love her nonetheless."

The girl could help but chuckle and I couldn't help but release a shriek as she pulled the laces tighter before her apology," Sorry, my lady."

Catching another breath, I replied," Do not worry of it…" my breath quickened as my hand rested on my abdominal, " But is it really that necessary to keep it that tight? It is only dinner. In fact, I thought we had established a," more pulling, and another gasp," more casual dress code."

The servant stepped away from me and looked at the dress from the front, paying little attention to my lack of air," But this is a private dinner with the man you fancy. Surely, you want to impress him."

I felt heat rush to my face. Yes, so I did fancy him and all, but it was still embarrassing to talk about. Every time one of the women would bring him up, of course, I would answer whatever they wanted answered (most of the time), but I would try to change the topic quickly for it was still incredibly awkward to talk about love…maybe it wasn't for other girls, but I was a little odd, you could safely say.

A knock at the door, saved us from anymore talk. Quickly, I bounded from the place where I stood and went to answer the door. The servant girl hardly noticed I had bounded away, for she had turned to grab something from the table as I left.

To my surprise, Caspian stood at the threshold. Typically, if he was to have dinner with me, another servant would act as my escort, but it was he. I couldn't help but smile as he leaned in to embrace me. Immediately apologies filled my ears," You must forgive me for the last-"

I looked directly at him and softly pressed my forehead to his, careful that he was listening," You mustn't apologize anymore. I've forgiven you enough just for arranging this."

Respite filled his face and though I had been upset, I found that I couldn't stay angered with him for long. We would have plenty of time to catch up now that dinner was planned. I noticed that he, like I, was dressed in some of his nicest dress. I guess that they were disregarding my requests of more casual clothing for the evening.

Slowly, he backed away, his eyes still locked on mine and his hands still laced through my own before he asked," Are you ready to leave?"

"Lady Rosalie!" I heard the servant girl cry from inside my quarters once more, I had basically left without telling her a word. Guilt pinged inside of me as she frantically ran around the quarters searching high and low for where I could be. She passed by the door way, not noticing who she had passed until she was well down the hallway. Embarrassed she made her way back, spitting out apologies.

"Do not worry of it," I told her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder," I am going to go now. If anyone should be apologizing it is I."

"But-"

"If I am not ready by now, then I will never be," I told her, still smiling as I grabbed Caspian's hand once more and began our descent.

* * *

As I held Caspian's hand in my own and we walked through the corridors, I noticed that we were not on our way to the formal dining room. I found this rather odd, considering that we were both in our nicest attire. In fact, I was rather clueless as to where he was leading us for the longest while.

"So, you did the honors of escorting me yourself tonight?" I teased him as we took another turn.

He looked at me out of the side of his eye," Of course, I wanted to take you to this dinner myself. This one is….more special."

"More special?" I laughed slightly as we started to climb a flight of stairs," Special enough to request the maids that I be in a gown. Something you know that I absolutely despise."

A grin was planted on his lips," Maybe it's just nice to see you in a dress every once and a while."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes once more, but my laughter was soon stifled as we reached the top of the stairs. He pushed the door open and immediately my jaw dropped.

The sight that I saw was the same sight that Caspian and I had discovered as children. I had not been on this particular balcony of the castle since I was, maybe, ten years old. It was the place where Caspian and I would run off to. Immediately, we went over to ledge to look over the same ledge that we always had and watched as the river ran through the forest.

"This is wonderful," I told him after several moments," How did you think to come here? I have long forgotten about this place."

He chuckled," I think you think too little of my memory. Maybe I should be offended that you forgot," he raised a brow in jest as he started walking to the other side of the rather large balcony. I followed behind him closely, still admiring the beauty of the Narnia landscape below us. I was so in awe of the view that we used to see daily as children that I hardly noticed the dining table that had been set up just for us. The table was a smaller, circular one that had a nice linen strewn over the top of it.

I smiled as he led me to my seat and soon I saw both Beck and Emily coming through the doorway to serve our food. I couldn't help but smile at seeing the two together, mostly Emily trying to make sure Beck didn't drop anything. Caspian and I couldn't help but chuckle as they would pass through, normally bickering, but then trying to cover it up as best they could.

It wasn't anything over-the-top, like we typically had, but it was nice. It was laid-back. It was perfect.

The soft wind that blew over the castle as the sun started to set. How nice it was to just sit and eat and talk with Caspian. Most of the night, we had not talked of anything very serious. Mostly, just all sorts of nonsense that seemed to come into our heads, and inviting Emily and Beck into the conversation as well. It was almost as if nothing had happened over the last two days.

I remember, clearly, the moment when that night changed.

We had been sitting out on the balcony for quite some time for the moon had risen and lanterns graced the sides of the balcony. A small candle flame flicked on the table as I thought back to the moment where I remembered the soldiers leaving Telmar in quite a hurry. I had intended to ask, but had not gotten the chance. Both Penelope and I had found the sight rather odd. At that break in the conversation, I found it would be an appropriate time to bring up a serious matter.

"Caspian?" I asked him, leaning over the table, careful of the stray bread crumbs and food scraps lying about.

"Yes?" he replied, looking at me with question as I spoke.

"The other day, I couldn't help but notice two large troops of men leaving Telmar in quite the hurry," I started as I looked over the candle," I've been meaning to ask-"

He shook his head and sighed deeply, I stopped at the sound of his sigh as he offered his hand to me to stand up. Careful of the flame, I grabbed his hand and allowed him to steer me toward the side of the balcony. When we reached the edge, we stood there for quite awhile before he spoke.

"You really wish to know? On a night such as tonight?" he asked me, a sudden anxiousness coming up in his voice.

As his eyes were set ahead, mine were set on him," Yes. I would."

"Of course," he muttered, looking down and shaking his head before looking back out over the landscape," Rosalie, I will be bluntly honest with you. I may as well just say it. Something out West has killed over thirty of the men in the army. One of the scouts that I sent out, they were only doing their job and-General was the only one to survive the attack," he paused again," You're sure you want to hear this?"

"Where was this?" I asked him softly, moving myself closer to him. I could hardly believe what he was telling me. Thirty men? I paid no mind to his question, for my tone showed my interest.

"It was in a small village town just before the mountains out West. General came back with three men. He told me that they entered the deserted town in search of something, anyone or anything really. They saw corpses about the street, but before they left, he wanted a full search of the town. So, he entered the tavern with these other men, while the rest of the troop took search around the town," he explained to me, I was listening intently," Inside, he met a wacky couple who told the story of how 'spirits' killed the inhabitants of the town. How they listened to the screams of their loved ones as they were killed and the town was destroyed."

"That's awful!" I commented, shocked, in the pause of conversation, but then a question spurred my thoughts," But just how did these two survive while the others did not? And what are these 'spirits'."

Caspian nodded, understandingly," That's what I want to find out. General claimed that they would not agree to come back to testify to the council what happened. The whole story is a little too…'supernatural' for me because when General exited the tavern…his troop was killed. I thought that perhaps something else had happened, some other tragedy that had left the couple mentally ill, but I had to doubt that theory when I heard my men were dead."

"All thirty of them?" I asked again, making sure I had received the information correctly.

"Yes," he answered, very softly," All thirty of them."

"So, you decided to send General out with more men? Is that what I saw?" I questioned, my mind thriving on this new mystery," What happens should these be killed too? Are they not just walking into their own-"

I noticed that I was spitting out questions again without hardly thinking or….breathing between them. He raised a hand to silence me before verbally hushing me," Rosalie, Rosalie, shhh. Calm down, I have sent him more troops, but one of them he is to take into the mountains to find the source while the other is to stay behind and come back to me after a certain amount of time, should they not hear from the others. Also, I signed a paper requesting the presence of this tavern owners in my court."

My eyes found their way to the landscape that had the moon shining its light down onto it. A cool breeze now had started blowing gently, sending a shiver down my body as I thought of just what might be lying out West. I had read plenty of books on Narnian history and knew of the theories that had been written over what lie in the West. Witchcraft, creatures like no other has seen before, and all sorts of nasty beings that really only belonged in the shadows. Just as much as this disturbed me, I also did not trust General.

There was something about that dark hair and glare that the soldier wore. There was something about that scar on his face that disturbed me almost as much as the idea of a spirit killing all of the troop.

"You believe General's account?" I challenged him, moving closer as another breeze blew through the air.

Caspian wrapped his arm over my shoulders, providing more heat," He's given me no reason not to. I can't see the reasoning behind why everyone thinks so negatively of him!"

"Perhaps, because the man's got a scar on his face the length of his skull or the fact that he lurks around in the shadows and there's-"

"Okay, you've made yourself clear, but he has done a fine job leading the men thus far," he argued for the military leader's case.

I nodded, knowing I would be defeated on this argument once more," _Thus_ far. You don't know what he has up his sleeve."

"I think you're being a little ridiculous," he told me," Try to give him a chance. Please. Plus, you would agree that we need to get this settled? He's the only one we've got right now.

Reluctantly, I nodded, but avoided eye-contact with him as I looked out to the West. Out in those far hills, something wasn't right. Something was lurking in the shadows…waiting to come out and rebirth. Little did we know what that was at the time, but a feeling was loud and clear that something was about to change in Narnia.

"If he does anything-" I argued once more, very adamant on my feelings.

The King laughed at me before nodding his head," Yes, I'll get rid of him should he do anything out of line."

Perhaps, Caspian was right. Maybe I was only judging the man prematurely; I didn't really know him all the well. My only judgement of him was my first impression…which is never accurate. Or so they say.

Another silence hung in the air as we stood there, under the moonlight. I chose this to once again fill the gap," Does this have anything to do with why you have not spoken to me over the last two days?"

Dead silence. I could have sworn that everything throughout the whole land had ceased in everything. My heart paused just as I could feel his speed up. He allowed the silence to hang for a while longer before saying," Partially, but the reason I have not spoken with you is because of a much more serious matter."

More serious? What else could be happening?

"More serious?" I questioned him, looking up at his face.

"Much," he nodded, meeting my gaze.

There was another silence. I was growing very tired of all of the pauses in the conversation and wished that he would get on and say what he needed to," Well," I prodded," What might that be?"

"It's about you," he finally told me, finally.

Me? What could be so serious about me?

I could tell by his face that he was struggling for quite some time. I could tell that he was fighting for the right words to come out and I rested my hand atop of his, trying to show some encouragement," Tell me," I urged, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"The council," he started, obviously reluctant to speak," has discovered a law."

I studied him closely, still trying to figure out where he was going with this. What sort of law would relate to me?

He sighed heavily and all I wanted was to be able to read just what was going on in his head. All I wanted to know was what he was trying to say. It was obvious that he was struggling with words once more. I ran my fingers over his, trying to provide some sort of comfort to him.

"The castle is open for residency to the king and his family, as you know. It is also open to those who are members of the king's council and their family," he swallowed hard," During their reign that is."

My heart almost stopped beating.

"Does this-?" I tried, but he interrupted.

"Please, allow me to finish," he said tenderly, still not looking me in the eye," Other than the servants, who have devoted themselves to the castle, the citizens of the 'Upper' class or whatever word properly fits us are the sole people allowed to call this place home. In the case that a term should end, the family has one year to reside in the castle before they are to choose a new home since they are not the family members of the current ruling body."

I couldn't believe it. Was he really telling me that I had to find somewhere else to live? Just like that? Is that what he was referring to? Either way, the thought of leaving the castle, a place I had called home for all my life was absolutely dreadful. The look on my face must have shown him my feelings and though I tried to stay strong, tears were coming to my eyes. I could never imagine leaving…never.

"Caspian, I can't believe this," I said, my voice cracking unintentionally," Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"

He sighed, which only furthered my theory.

"I can't believe this," I said with a shake of my head before pulling my hand away from his," I knew something was wrong."

"Hear me out," he pleaded desperately," You must know that I've done nothing but try and change this over the last two days, but there is nothing we can do this quickly. This has come upon us all much too quickly for us to change anything, but a proposition came up as we discussed this. There may not be something I can do to change it…but there is something _we_ can do."

It was taking almost everything inside of me to not fall apart right there. He may have been trying to tell me otherwise and explain himself, but I could hardly get over what he had told me before. Finding a new home would be incredibly painful and I figured that all he would do was try and…I don't know...sugarcoat reality.

I was wrong.

I watched as he turned and under the moonlight, his face looked so-innocent. He was pained at the sight of my displeasure; he wanted to ease the pain. He always had. I knew this wasn't his fault, but he sure wasn't making the situation any better. To my surprise, he grabbed both of my hands in his and forced my fingers to interlock with his once more near the edge of the balcony.

"These last two days have been some of two most, difficult days of my life. However, I would not consider them the absolute worse. I think that both you and I know what those days are…but the point being that I realized that you may walk out of my life once more over these last two days-"

"I could always still visit," I tried, a tear spilling down my face, hardly able to muster up anything intelligible.

A small smile came to his face," You could," he admitted," But it would never be the same, Rosalie. Never would my life be complete knowing that you were not going to always be there for me whenever I needed someone to talk to. Never would my life be complete without going on our walks every evening-"

"I wouldn't be far-" I sobbed, trying to reassure myself that it would be okay; his words were only making me more forlorn, but he continued on," You're busy anyways with-_this_ stuff."

Half of my words hardly made any sense, but I was merely in shock of all that had gone through my head.

"Shh," he soothed as the tears came falling from my face and he pulled me in close to him, my face lay on his shoulder and his words found my ear, "I already almost lost you once, Rosalie Sopespian. I messed up horribly. Now, the time comes that both you and I must respect the law. Both you and I must serve our country, before we serve ourselves."

There was a pause where the only thing I could hear was my own sob and all I could feel was Caspian's arms around me tight. Then he words broke through the silence. I was preparing myself for the moment of total heartbreak.

"I feel the same way about you now that I did when we both were only six years old," he purred into my ear," If a six year old boy could fall in love, then I swear that I fell harder than any of them could ever dream. You were the one who helped me, even at six years old, to cope with the pain. You were the one that welcomed me into your family and for that I will forever be grateful," he slowly moved his hands up to cup both sides of my face, forcing me to look at him with my tear-stained eyes," Despite everything else that has happened Rosalie Sopespian, my heart has only ever beat for you. _Never_, would I hope that a past such as ours would stand in the way. That's why, right now, I need you to tell me that you share these feelings. I know the wound is still fresh and I do not expect you to be totally healed, but please tell me _something_ in response."

Tears continued to flow down my face, but I looked right into Caspian's eyes. Memories came flooding back to my head, but did they even matter? The feel of his hands on my face, the sound of his voice, this boy that I had met as a child and grown up with had turned into someone who I could never picture myself living without. I knew to whom he was referring and I responded honestly.

With a sniffle, I muttered to him," Caspian, you must know that my heart may never fully recover from what happened with him. You must know this, but I can tell you right now, that the feelings I had for him could never compare to the way I feel for you, the way I have felt for you since we were so young. I never though that I would fall in love, Caspian. I never dreamt of falling in love, but-my heart has disagreed."

A look of relief filled his face as he inhaled deeply. I was still failing to see how this connected, but I did not interrupt him, perhaps talk like this would help to cover up the reality that I thought was going to strike," Will you answer, for me, one last question, Rosalie? Will you answer my final plea?"

I nodded my head, slowly, still trying to dry my eyes.

Slowly, his hands moved away from my face as they slid into a pocket. Any tears of pain that I had disappeared as the King of Narnia dropped down to one knee and looked up at me with a beautiful, silver ring in his hands," I know we are young and I know that we have been through many tough times, but will you answer the call that both my heart and Narnia calls? Please, Rosalie will you p-please be _my_ Queen? You will _never_ be forced to leave."

I couldn't help but smile. Tears now fell freely from my face, but they were tears of joy. My heart was thinking not of Peter, my heart would never forget him, but it would move on. My heart was not thinking of moving, for it would never have to endure that pain. The only word that could depict how I was feeling would be ecstasy. Just hours ago, I was so upset by the ignorance I was receiving from Caspian, but now-he had asked me what everyone, myself included, had been waiting for. Even though I tried to put it off by telling everyone that we had no plans, this was what I had been waiting for. Deep down.

I was going to be _married_.

Almost too in shock to reply, I finally bent down and placed my hand on his cheek before nodding my head robustly. Joy moved in and planted itself onto his face. His smile was so large, as was mine as I felt the lovely silver ring slide onto my finger. Before I could even think to admire the ring, Caspian had sprung up from his knee and lifted me from the ground. As we spun in the air, I could not think of anywhere else I would have rather been. I could not think of a time that I had ever been happier.

It was all such a whirlwind. We were young and hard times were not-so-distant, but we hardly cared at that moment.

**Author's Note: You have no idea how long it took me to write that scene. I battled myself sooo many times and I hope that the proposal turned out alright. That part is the reason why I have not uploaded for like the past week, which I apologize for. Writer's block is absolutely horrendous. However, I have overcome it for I was struck with a brilliant idea the other night, so we will see how it all pans out. Anyway, sorry for the rambles, love you all! Hope you enjoyed it! They're engaged! Woo-hoo! Okay, bye.**

**Let me know what you think!  
**

**~TennisQueen12 **


	8. A Message from Brother Dear

**A/N: Nothing is mine. Except for..you know.  
**

Chapter Eight: A Message from Brother Dear

"Rosalie," Caspian whispered softly, I felt him slowly pull his forehead away from mine

"Yes?" I replied, curious as to why he was breaking away.

"There's something else you must know," he told me, his voice taking another serious tone.

"And what's that?" I asked, looking directly at him.

He looked down at our connected hands and squeezed them tightly before looking back at me," We must be married quickly, which means that we haven't much time to plan the ceremony."

Puzzled by his comment, I said," And just how short-"

"Within the month, Rosalie," he said, interrupting my complete though.

My jaw almost dropped. I was excited about being married, but-having such a short engagement? I-I didn't know what to say. In four weeks or less, I was going to be _Queen_. How odd that sounded. Was there no way we could change this as well? Not that I believed anything would change, but simply the emotional preparation…wow.

"I guess there is nothing you can do to have this re-arranged? Not that I am not eager, but Caspian. That really isn't much time at all," I claimed, trying to be logical.

He nodded, for of course, he understood," I know and you must realize that this is one of the things I have tried to have changed as well, but the council insists-"

"But you're the _King_," I interrupted," Surely, that counts for something."

He sighed," Of course, it does, Rosalie, but…Narnia needs a Queen, Rosalie. They merely want to keep their hands clean with all of this legally and the sooner you become Queen-the better we all are off. Suppose something _should_ happen out West where I was to go off to battle-"

"Please, don't mention a thought of you leaving me alone to rule," I shook my head, shuddering a the thought.

"The reality of it is that it could happen," he told me, trying to get me to view it more realistically.

"But it is not _likely_," I said, trying to make the case seem less likely.

He chuckled gently to himself," I wouldn't think you've much to worry about. You'd be a great leader. You'd learn quickly, just as I-"

Before he could finish the sentence and before I could protest.

Then, rapidly, both Emily and Beck fell through the door that had, apparently, been propped open the whole time. Behind them stood, a disappointed Apollo and Trina picking them up from the ground.

"I told you it was a bad idea!" Emily barked at Beck as Apollo pulled the both of them up from the ground.

"You didn't exactly stop it, Miss I-Always-Know-Best!" Beck argued back as Trina pulled him away from Emily, who, quite frankly, looked like she was ready to tear him to pieces.

"Beck-!" she started again, but Apollo held him back.

"The both of you!" he cried, an immediate sound of authority in his voice as he grabbed Beck by the ear, similar to how he would a young child," Now, do _not _make me treat you like children any more than I already have. Apologize to Lady Rosalie and King Caspian for eavesdropping."

Beck's knees seemed to shake at the sound of Apollo and the touch of his finger on his ear, pulling him back away from the door. Before she could escape, Emily was soon grabbed as well," Don't think you're going anywhere, either."

A look of frustration came onto her face as he held a tight grip on the lobe of her ear," Both of you, apologize," he commanded once more.

"Apollo," Caspian started, trying not to be overbearing, but still loud enough to catch the man's attention.

I shot Caspian a look before finishing the sentence for him, tenaciously, of course," There is no need for apology. They've heard nothing of great importance, I'm sure."

I almost regretted saying that for soon after I did, the scrawny boy that stood squirming in the arms of Apollo, Beck cried out," Only that you both are getting married!"

Heat rushed to my face once more. As I mentioned before, of course words could not describe how happy I was, but it was still somewhat awkward to speak of being _married_. I shot a nervous look at Caspian before the both of us broke into laughter. Apollo's interest was suddenly not on Beck anymore, but shifted to Caspian. Trina did the same as the two servants ran away quickly, bickering the whole way.

Trina immediately came running over to me and gathered me into her arms," Love, is it true?"

I smiled and looked directly at her before raising my hand to showcase the proof on my left finger," They speak the truth!"

"Why the little snoops!" she exclaimed, grabbing me all over again," I'll-"

I raised a hand," Please, they mean no harm. Don't worry of it."

Apollo had moved from Caspian over to me and embraced me just as his wife had," Congratulations, Rosalie."

"Thank you," I told him gently and then the four of us stood alone on the rooftop looking to each other. It did not take long for the moment to sink in and Lady Trina to speak once more.

"Well, gentlemen, if you don't mind, I'm going to take the bride-to-be to her quarters now. It appears as though we've got a wedding to plan!"

My eyes widened as she said this. It had to be nearing the late hours of the evening! Did she really expect me to-to plan a wedding? Now? Before she could pull me away, Caspian grabbed me by the hand one last time and gently kissed my cheek, I stayed close to him as I whispered," I love you."

He replied, just as tenderly," And I you. Goodnight."

"Night," I said before slowly stepping away from him as I felt Trina begin to lead me away. One last time I looked back at the man I was to marry before she descended down the stairs.

"Now, we've got much to do if we are to have this ceremony in the next four weeks!" she told me, I could already feel the pressure being placed on my shoulders as we flew down the stair well.

A yawn escaped my mouth as we traveled quickly down the stairs," Trina, as much as I appreciate this-"

She continued to ramble on and on. I was starting to understand why she was so stressed earlier. Had she known about the wedding before hand, which she obviously did, then she had probably started planning it over the last two days. She began spitting out so much information that my head was spinning; I started to realize all over again why I did not have much interest in all the organizing of events. It also made sense as to why she had blown me off earlier. She has probably been planning this thing since the moment it was _mentioned._

"Now, the biggest event that we've got on our hands is the announcement to the public. With this I've got-" my door was growing closer by the moment as we walked through the corridors and just as she started to explain the announcement, another yawn escaped my mouth as I leaned against the door frame.

"Trina," I stopped her finally and she looked at me, wide eyes and all," Please," I placed a hand on her arm," I am much too tired now to think of much anything serious about the planning. Give me a couple hours of sleep first."

A smile appeared on her face and through the dark, I could clearly see it," I understand, I was the same way when I was your age."

Smirking, a silence hung in the air before she said," Get some sleep tonight, dear, but be ready for some serious planning!"

She couldn't contain it as she pulled me into another hug and I even think I heard a squeal escape her lips. Finally, I pried myself out of her arms and stepped back into my room. For the first time since I was a little girl, I skipped down the hallways and to my room. Collapsing on the four-poster bed, a smile was planted on my face as the ring stared back at me.

I was to be _married_.

When Trina said that she had plenty of planning in mind; she was right. Not only did we have a wedding to plan, but we also had a celebration of Penelope's birthday. Penelope claimed that she didn't want to make a big deal of anything, but never listening to such nonsense, Trina had a large formal dinner planned for her. Soon after the dinner, a couple days or so, we found ourselves coming out to the public about our engagement.

As soon as we went public and told them the date, everything seemed to be set into high gear until then. Dresses were to be picked, menus to be prepared, and a guest list of course! Most of the time, I found myself sitting in long, tedious sessions with Trina picking out all sorts of "necessities" that seemed to be useless at the time. However, the lady loved the process so much and became so excited when we would pick something out-it kind of forced me to like it. Somewhat.

That being said, time really did fly by quite quickly before I knew it, it was only a mere four days before the wedding and guests of all sorts were coming in and making themselves at home in the castle walls. Leaders from all different regions, old friends. Very quickly, I found myself becoming much more social than I ever wished to be.

"Come on! I'm in great need of a cup of tea! If the Madame from Archenland doesn't get her daily cup she's going to drive me crazy!" Penelope called at the top of her lungs as she came running into the kitchen, a typical chore that she found herself doing.

I acknowledged her distress and made my way over to one of the cabinets to grab a tea cup for her. While I did this, Emily was grabbing the kettle hot off the stove. Whenever the cup was cooled to the drinkablity and sugar cubes placed on a saucer, Penelope was off to delivery the tea cup. Though I should have been off with Trina, I always felt a need to help the kitchen staff since they were always overworked.

At this time, I had been in the kitchen for quite some time and probably needed to moving along to prevent myself from being caught. Exiting the kitchen, I found there to be plenty of commotion happening in the corridors. On typical days, I tried to keep my appearance rather tamed down and keep attention away from myself, which wouldn't be hard to do.

I kept my head down as I passed through the busy crowd, in fact, I had a hood on my dark blue cape that I wore since it was raining outside, it was not uncommon for the folk to have these hoods up as they entered. I walked quickly through until I had reached the other side of the foyer. I knew that Trina was probably waiting on me for one of the final fittings of the dress.

I reached the end of the corridor, where there were hardly any people cluttered about, but just as I did I was abruptly stopped by the sound of struggle from, what appeared to be, a linen closet. Slowly, I crept along the side of the wall, to listen more closely and see just what was going on.

"Listen to me," a man's gruff voice growled, I could also hear the sound of a girl's voice, struggling," You're goin' to do as I say."

A muffled voice could be heard through the wall, but briefly and very briefly, she spoke," Never."

"Now, love, you don't even know what I'm going to ask you to do," he said, trying to sound as though he was not to harm her.

There was silence before she spoke, very quietly," What is it that you want?"

I desperately wanted to know who this man was because after she said those words, I knew who she was. She was Emily. Emily was being held against her will by some man, whom I didn't even know! Inside the castle at that! Despite the need I had to burst into the door, I needed to listen more before I could make a wise decision on what was going on. I pulled my hood off my head and inched closer.

"That's what I like to 'ear," he chuckled softly before continuing," You've got a royal wedding coming up, now dontcha? That's what all these peoples are running around like wild geese about, am I right?"

"Yes," she said, her voice sounded so weak, so vulnerable.

"Bring me the lit'le Queenie-to-be. Tell her you've got some special task for her to perform for the weddin' or whatnot. You'll prob'ly be a bet'r liar than I," he chuckled again," We've got a bone to be pickin' with the lit'le Queenie so the faster you can bring her to us, the bet'r."

There was a silence for a moment. I felt as though my heart was beating out of my chest and if I were to be any louder, they would find me in a second. However, soon I watched as the curtains that contained the closet flew open. Heart beating wild, I watched as Emily, shaking, appeared out of the closet.

"And dontchu go thinkin' that you can pull a quickie on us eith'r!" he called and she looked back, nodding her head solemnly.

It took her a moment or two before she looked to her right and immediately noticed me standing right there. Relief flooded her face as she tried to silently hide her excitement and rush over to where I was standing. I threw my finger up over my lips to signal her to stay quiet. She nodded obediently as I reached into the inside of my cloak and pulled out a small dagger.

Then, quickly I pulled Emily out of earshot of the men and whispered quickly," You need to go and alert one of the castle soldiers on duty, anyone, even Caspian if you can find no one else-that there is a disturbance. Now go!"

"But, my lady-" she argued, peering down at my small dagger, and I shook my head.

"Emily, do I say and go!"

Quickly, she flew off down the corridor searching for any sign of help she could find while I turned my attention back to the closet. Perhaps, this was not the best idea-logically-perhaps I should have waited for backup, but I wanted to face my danger straight up. I wanted to look them in the eyes and tell them that if they really wanted me; they could get me themselves.

Not wanting to waste a minute, I slung the curtains open and saw, to my surprise, two men sitting around an overturned box in the closet. A small candle sat in the, mostly darkened closet, but as soon as I pulled the curtains open, light filled the room briefly.

"Who are you that requests my presence?" I demanded, pointing my dagger at the both of them.

"Whoa there," one of them, a new voice, said," We mean no harm there, lit'le missy. We're only the messengers. We've only got a little 'heads' up for ya."

"How come I don't believe this?" I challenged, my gaze shifting between the two, scruffy, poorly dressed men. From the outside it appeared that they were unarmored, but there was still something about them that I didn't trust. At all.

One of them, the one that spoke with Emily, arose and I took a step back. He smiled a nasty, gold-tooth-plated smile as he looked at me," Haven't a clue. I'd say we're pre'ty trustworthy fellas, wouldntchu?" he asked his partner, who stayed seated.

The partner cackled," 'Course we are! We the most trustworthy fellas you ever done met, Queenie."

"To-be," the other one corrected," She 'asn't 'ad that ceremony yet, now 'as she?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

Frustrated, I responded," Just tell me what you want with me! I heard the whole conversation. If you really want me, then here I am. Say what you will to me, but do _not_ disturb my servant girls to get to me. They've done no harm and you basically brought my other one to tears."

A look of shock came on the one who was standing's face," You 'eard all that, eh?"

I nodded my head, firmly still holding my dagger raised high.

"Well then," he said, coming close to me. Uncomfortably circling me as I stood still in place, the wrong move to do," I've a message from yer brother."

My attention immediately went up. Jacob? He had passed through my head over the last few days while we were inviting all of the guests to the wedding. Somehow, I still felt I owed him at least an invitation, but he wasn't to be found anywhere. I had sent out plenty of messages for him, but had received nothing. This was the first I had heard of Jacob in over a year.

"What of my brother?" I asked, without any steady tone to my voice, I felt the dagger unintentionally move downward. I was letting my guard down.

The two men broke into laughter," What of yer brother, eh?" the other one, sitting at the box asked," You want to know of yer brother? If you only knew, m' lady."

After their fun was over, the one circling me spoke once more," I'm not allowed to tell ye much, darlin'-"

"Do _not_ call me that," I growled, tired of the disrespect I was receiving.

He chuckled once more, this time right in my face as he spoke again," Your brother wants to make a deal with ya and yer husband-to-be."

"Hmm, and what's that?" I asked, warily, hardly thinking we would ever make such a deal.

"He thinks it be a lit'le unfair that his lit'le sister be getting to be a ruler of the nation yer daddy promised him since he was a lad," the man said, a certain gruffness to his voice as he walked around me," Dontchu think?"

I shook my head and glared at the man," Our father didn't know what he was promising; he had no say in who would rule the country. He only dreamt it and never was he in a position to ruling the country. The closest he got to having any say in who ruled the country was when he brutally murdered King Caspian and his wife."

"Yer brother seems to think a lit'le differently than that-" the man said, but before he could utter anymore, the sound of Telmarine soldiers came from outside the closet.

"Whoever's in there, come out with your hands high! You can't escape!" their voices echoed through the closet before the curtains flew open.

"Perfect timing fellas," the man mumbled into my ear and before I could react, the man had grabbed me tight and weaved my own dagger out of my hand and moved it to my neck.

After several seconds of no reply, the men finally threw open the curtains, armed with swords of their own, some even wielding crossbows, but their look of desire to get rid of these guys turned to worry as they saw the dagger at my neck.

"Gentlemen," the leader of the soldiers said softly," I think it would be in the best interest of-"

"No! All of ye, are gonna listen to me otherwise, yer little Queenie-to-be, won't be living to see her own weddin'!" the scruffy man dug the dagger closer to my skin, almost drawing blood," Now, that I've got yer attention, Jacob Sopespian wants all ye to know that he's quite offended he hasn't been invited to the royal weddin'. He thought he'd let all of ye know that he will be present at the weddin' and he will not be-oh what's the right word-chipper."

"Sir," the head Telmarine soldier tried, but the blade came closer to my veins.

"Ah-ah-ah, don't forget what's at stake 'ere, sir," the man mocked, holding my tighter," However, it appears I 'ave told you as much as I can. Now, it appears you've got a ceremony to be plannin' and Jacob is looking forward to it, greatly. It's been nice meetin' you love," he spat the last in my ear and quickly I felt his lips brush my cheek before everything seemed to happen at once.

He pushed me forward into the group of soldiers and behind him, his buddy had already disappeared, and soon, with a cloud of smoke, the man was gone too. Dumbfounded, we all looked around trying to discover just where he could have run off to. Soldiers immediately swarmed the closet looking for any sign of where the men cold have run off to, but they were gone. I felt my cheek where the man's lips had met my skin and shuddered, also slightly angered.

The rat had run off with my dagger!

"Lady Rosalie, are you alright?" one of the men asked me after several moments of standing quite still.

"Of course," I told the man directly before starting to walk away," Thank you for everything. I-I've some other things to attend to now."

"Are you sure-" he tried to question me once more, but I had already turned my back and was heading in the other direction. I could see why they would have thought that I was greatly disturbed, but honestly it was more of the idea that my brother would be attending my wedding than anything.

If Jacob had recruited this scum to fetch him a message…what else had he up his sleeve?

Just what had he been doing that last year?

**A/N: The next chapter going to be a long one! We've got the wedding and we're going to learn just what Rosalie's brother has been up to.****Thanks for reading you guys! Make sure you let me know what you think! Much love  
**


	9. Preparations

**Author's Note: You know the drill…haha I don't own much.**

Chapter Nine: Preparations

"What did they do to you?" Caspian demanded later that night as I sat in his study, retelling the events of the day.

"Caspian," I sighed, for seemingly the thousandth time," They didn't harm me at all. The worst the scum did was kiss me on the cheek and-"

"He _touched_ you? How dare-"

"Caspian," I said softly rising from the chair where I sat across from him. I moved behind the chair where he sat and leaned over his shoulder," Please don't worry about them. What we need to worry about is my brother, they were sent by him."

He shot his dark eyes up at me and finally nodded after several moments," I know, I know…you said that…it's just hard. So much has been happening lately with the army out West-"

"What has happened with that?" I asked, unintentionally interrupting him as I moved myself to his desk and sat on the edge.

"Well," he started, turning his attention to the papers on his desk in front of him," A rider just came in tonight and sent message from General. The men are currently retreating from the mountain-"

"Have you heard from someone other than General?" I interrupted, once again unintentionally.

Caspian raised a brow at me, frustrated I could tell," Rosalie, don't start with me over General. Both you and I know that he's a good fellow, just a little, rough around the edges."

Unsatisfied, I crossed my arms and allowed him to continue," Supposedly, they've got an army too back there in the mountains. A full-sized army. And to top it all off, they've got the giants on their side too."

If I was ever shocked before, then I most certainly was now. I didn't even know how to reply. Of course the men were retreating! There weren't many of them and if the others had an entire army! Good Aslan, they would have been destroyed! But…would the full-sized army follow…along with the giants?

"Caspian, what are we-"

This time, it was he interrupting me.

"I don't know. General ensured me that he had it under control for now," he looked directly at me before pushing his chair out of the desk," Right now, all I'm focusing on is this ceremony."

He stood directly in front of me as I argued," But Caspian isn't it a little-"

"Don't," he leaned in and placed his lips on mine, he spoke again" Worry."

Every time that I had kissed Caspian before our engagement, there was a certain sweetness behind every kiss. As our relationship developed and as the wedding date came closer, I could feel something new building. A different sort of feeling that I hadn't really ever experienced before, a new sort of sensation.

The realization that we were going to be married had yet to sink in. For some reason as he said those words to me, I had to obey. He was King after all and perhaps I should have given General more respect…

"I'll try not to," I said, smiling through one last kiss before I forced myself to climb off of the desk, glancing out to the moon rising high in the night sky," I really ought to be getting back now. We especially don't want anyone getting the wrong message now."

He chuckled as I started toward the door, my hand interlocked with his still," Try and stay out of trouble."

"I think I should be more worried of you," I said with a small smile as he moved my hand up to his lips.

"Until tomorrow," I said softly, turning toward the door once more," We've only three more days, you realize that?"

"Until I am the happiest man in all of Narnia," he said, still holding my hand close to his face and smiling.

My heart fluttered," And I the happiest woman."

* * *

Those next three days seemed to fly by even quicker than the others. I found myself standing in the middle of the powder room one too many times, having Trina and all the other servant girls pin my dress onto me tighter and tighter every time. Many last minute decisions were to be made, but for the most part what we had to do was just a matter of getting done. If that made any sense.

Lucky for me, Trina continued to do most of the planning. However, the venue was a matter of argument. I wished that we be able to hold the ceremony in a more public area to where even the Telmarine on the street would be able to witness the ceremony, but we could not reach an agreement as to where that would be appropriate considering that a city street is not the most convenient place to decorate for a wedding.

Finally, we agreed on having the ceremony in the courtyard, which was a rather large area, relatively speaking. It would not be the largest, by any means, but it would make for both an airy and intimate feel. We decided that there would be plenty of room for all of the members of 'upper' class that had been invited. I convinced Trina to open the gates after the upper class has been filled and allow on a first come first serve basis, Telmarines from the public. She agreed to this after much arm pulling.

Little else did I know of the wedding other than the dress, venue, and guest list. All of the other details, she had kept well-hidden. I may have been the one to pick out the accessories, but she was the one who chose where they went and how they went there. There was also to be a gathering after the wedding that would take place in the grand hall. Plenty of walkthroughs were done in that venue as well. There was also plenty of planning that needed to be done as far as the 'wedding party'.

Caspian and I insisted that we keep it simple. Since, most of our closest friends had either been banished or killed…we found that my sister would be the main relative in the wedding party. We also decided on some other younger accomplices we had made in neighboring regions over the last year.

After running through the entire ceremony once through the evening before, I couldn't help but feel like…well…a princess. Or maybe…Queen would be a more appropriate word.

* * *

"Rosalie," Emily nudged me, early _that_ morning. _The_ morning that I was to be married on.

For the first time, I found myself _excited_ to be getting up. Surprisingly, I rubbed my eyes quickly and sprung upright into a sitting position. The other servants hadn't even opened the curtains yet.

"A little anxious are we?" Emily smiled at me as I pushed the thick blankets away from my lower half of my body," Never have I seen you so excited to be up!"

I looked around my room and noticed that most of its contents were already moved to the royal suite, or were in the process of being moved. It was so odd to see my room, my room that had been my room for so long, being empty. The last few days had been emotionally challenging as well…moving all of my belongings out.

"Can you give me a moment?" I asked Emily as I rose to my feet and started toward my closet once more, just as I had when I was little.

"My lady, we're on a rather tight schedule," one of the other servant girls told me as I entered into the closet.

Emily looked over at the girl once before replying," Go on, Rosalie. Do what you must."

The girl shot Emily a rather shocked look right as I exited into the closet. Not to my surprise, most of the clothing in the room were already gone, but I did notice that in the back there were some dresses that appeared to be from my childhood. Furrowing my brow in confusion as to why they would still be there, I inched closer and immediately recognized them.

One of them was the blue dress I had worn to the dinner. The dinner where Caspian and I had first become companions. I couldn't help but smile as I ran my fingers over the material, reminiscing on that night which was both a blessing to Caspian and as well as a curse. He did not even know the fate that lie ahead of his parents. Nor did he know that he would be forced to step forward as King so soon. Before I could become too lost in thought, Emily's voice rang," Rosalie, I'm sorry-I wish I could give you more time since this is your last-"

Shaking my head, I turned away from the dress and started walking toward the girl," I am ready, you're not disturbing anything."

"I know that this is all very rushed," she told me as we quickly exited the closet and began walking toward the powder room. The more I walked about, the more the butterflies in my stomach grew.

As soon as I entered the powder room, everyone seemed to be flustered. If they were before for any of the smaller events, then they most definitely were now. My sister sat on one of the stools, already clad in the lavender dress that I actually had picked out for her.

"Lady Rosalie!" all of them seemed to cry at once and, immediately, I was swarmed with all sorts of woman pushing me into ten different directions.

"Hold up!" Emily tried, pushing through the women," STOP!" she screamed, louder than I had ever heard her speak before. My eyes widened at how loud her voice had gotten," Now, all of you go to your positions we discussed earlier. I know it's exciting, but _this_ is unnecessary!"

Emily may have been shy for about ninety percent of the time, but in that other ten percent, she was demanding. As they should have, the women scurried about and went to their various stations. I merely did as I was told and hoped that I was doing that right. As soon as Emily brought me behind the privacy curtain to change into the dress, Trina came in.

"Oh good, you're all ready!" Trina cried, smiling as she saw me, I noticed that over her arm the dress lay. My heart leaped slightly as they helped me into the dress. Putting on dresses was not something I enjoyed, but this dress. This elegant piece of material that I had chosen…was unlike any other thing I could hope for. The sleeves on the dress came down to almost my elbow, laying slightly above them. So much fabric consisted of this dress that I felt as though it went on for miles behind me.

Looking at myself in the mirror almost brought tears to my eyes. How I wished that my mother could be there, seeing me in white marrying the man who I knew she would have wished I would. A tear fell down my face beyond my control as I stood there, admiring all of the intricacies that had been weaved into the dress such as the delicate beads lining the bodice, which Emily was already starting to fasten very tightly and add all sorts of other little details.

"Darling, are you ready for today?" Trina asked me, wiping the stray tear from my face as she stood in front of me.

More tears forming in my eyes, I nodded, trying to appear happy. I was determined that the older I got, the more sappy I became.

"Whatever is the matter?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

"It's nothing," I waved her off, wiping away the other tears.

"It's obviously more than that," she persisted," Tell me, Rosalie."

Sighing, I let it out," I just wish my mother could be here. It seems that she deserves to see this as well."

Trina, in her eyes, showed much sympathy for me as she gathered me in her arms once more. I felt her hand stroking me compassionately on my back as the tears continued to stream down my face," Look at me, Rosalie," she ordered me, gently," Look right here."

She placed hands on either side of my face, wiping away the other tears that fell," I can guarantee you that she may not be here physically, but love, she is here. She will always be here. In fact, she's right here," she pointed to the place on my chest where my heart rested underneath," Always remember that."

Feeling a little embarrassed for breaking down all of a sudden, I nodded and found some composure. Slowly, she dropped her hands from my face and guided me out of the curtain to have my hair done," Are you alright?" she asked me one last time, and I nodded, a smile coming to my face.

"Of course," I smiled, a genuine smile.

"That's my Rosalie," she smiled right back at me before turning back to the other women, directing them as to what should have been going on.

After several moments of sitting in front of the servant girl, who seemed to be braiding my hair in some sort of way, and speaking casually with her, Penelope appeared and sat on the edge of the vanity in front of me.

"Are you excited?" she asked me, kicking her feet back and forth in the air.

I nodded and grinned at her," Yes, but a little nervous too. I don't really know how to describe what I'm feeling, I guess."

Smiling, she nodded," I think that's normal."

"You've never been married before, how would you know?" I teased her, gently.

She chuckled softly before responding," I don't know…call it…little sister instinct?"

I reared back and laughed at the sound of that, Penelope was always the perfect person to make me smile. That was if she wasn't in one of her attitudes.

As the laughter ceased, I admired the dress that Trina had picked out. It looked wonderful on Penelope's tan skin and dark hair. Her green eyes really seemed to stand out and the flow of the dress made her appear much taller than what she was. It was ridiculous to think that she was grown up and that I would no longer be waking up every day to see her awakening across the hallway from me. Of course, I would still see her just as frequently as before…but it wouldn't be the same.

As I was thinking all this, I was had to mentally laugh. I was sounding more like Trina the more I was around her.

"The dress is lovely," Penelope commented to me as I felt the girl move to another section of my hair.

"It is isn't it?" I agreed with my younger sibling, looking down once more at the white material.

"Fit for a queen," she commented, with a smile on her face. Puns were one of Penelope's favorite things. She felt especially clever when she managed to come up with one.

There was another silence and as Penelope sat on the vanity, staring at me, I knew there was more she wished to say," You know," she started.

I met her gaze as she continued," I always knew you'd end up with Caspian."

I smirked at her while I felt the braids being pinned to my head," Really? And why's that?"

She shrugged," I don't know. It's kind of the way you two look at each other. It's sickening really."

"Oh gee, thanks," I replied sarcastically.

"No, really," she defended," It's a good, sort of sick. It's like people see you, walking hand and hand, and they know that you two were made for each other. Really. It's like there's no doubt in my mind. Even when you two weren't, well you know, there was always something there."

"Maybe you do have some of that little-sister instinct," I said after she was finished, teasing her slightly.

Just as I said that, the girl finished my hair and in the mirror it looked wonderful. My flat hair, actually appeared to be, thick and healthy. It had been through quite a bit, mind you, but the girl did a wonderful job. Braids ran through the hair, here and there, running back into a lovely bun that was also consisted of braids. I was forced to thank her quickly before moving on to the next station. Before I could leave, I felt Penelope throw herself against me," I love you, Rosalie."

Embracing her, I answered," I love you, Penelope."

After several moments, I watched as my teenage sister broke her embrace, smiling at me one last time, before running off to see just what else Trina may need to be done. I couldn't help but smile. Penelope was growing up right before my very eyes.

Putting powder on was a rather nasty business. I didn't like a little bit of it and I most certainly did not like a lot of it," Do what you must, but, despite what Lady Trina has told you, don't go overboard."

"Whatever you say, my lady," the girl replied with a smile as the brush began leaving a dust of powder over my face. I still couldn't help but wonder why it was all so necessary, but soon enough she had finished and as much as I hated to admit it, it did look quite nice. That didn't mean that I was going to start wearing it, however.

I found that there were several other girls, who were part of the ceremony, that were still being dressed and whatnot. During this time, I found that I was relatively being left alone, which was quite nice. I wandered over to the window that looked out over the grounds and saw that they were dressed quite nicely. The courtyard was already decorated with all sorts of purple and other spring type flowers. I couldn't help, but smile at the chairs lined up all along a center aisle. Citizens of the public were already cramming into the section that appeared to be roped off to the side. They all appeared so excited to be inside the castle grounds.

Then, to my surprise, I saw…a lion. The lion. Trina had mentioned nothing of Aslan being at the wedding, but unless my eyes deceived me, it was he walking through the courtyard with my soon-to-be-husband. My heart started to beat a little faster and just as I turned to run out, I realized that I was in my wedding dress and running to see Aslan now…wouldn't be very realistic.

Trina entered just as my excitement built.

"Aslan's here?" I exclaimed to her, my eyes widening.

She chuckled and looked away, looking like a little girl who had just been caught red-handed," You've seem to find me out."

"What?" I asked, unable to hold back my smile.

"Aslan's performing the ceremony! I thought I would be able to hide it from you for a bit longer, but it appears-"

Excitement rushed through me as I let out a squeal I didn't even know I possessed," Really? You said it would be Doctor Cornelius!"

She laughed at my reaction, before shrugging," You caught me."

"Oh and speaking of Aslan, for the sake of time, we are changing the coronation to the end of this week. The process would be much too time consuming should we try to make this day any more stressful for you."

"Rosalie?" she tried again, and again," Rosalie?"

The words she said merely went in one ear and out the other.

_Aslan _was performing the ceremony.

**A/N: Next chapter is going to be up soon! Let me know what you guys think ****:) Much Love!  
**


	10. The Almost Perfect Day

**Disclaimer: Yes, my name is not C.S. Lewis and I do not own much in this story. All of Narnia (other than Rosalie, her family, and **_**some **_**of her friends) belongs to C.S. Lewis. Not me. As you very well know by now.**

Chapter Ten: The (Almost) Perfect Day

I had been excited when she told me that Doctor Cornelius would be the one to perform the ceremony, but now that I knew Aslan would be the one-it was mind blowing.

I stayed in the powder room for seemingly forever before Trina had even had the girls place the veil over my head. As soon as they had the material pinned to my hair, the reality struck.

I was going to be married. Today. In just a few minutes.

I was no longer going to be Rosalie Sopespian….but Rosalie Caspian. Queen Rosalie…it would most definitely take some getting used to…that was for sure.

Before I knew it, I was standing at the door way, a handful of the servant girls carrying the material that hung behind me. Trina placed the bouquet of purple tulips in my hand. They were absolutely gorgeous and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect looking bundle of flowers. This was the moment. The _moment_.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like letting out a squeal just like a little girl would.

"Are you ready?" Trina asked me, one last time before we exited the powder room for good.

All of the girls were standing around, looking at me as though I was their piece of work or something. They were crying, cheering, and doing all sorts of things for the celebration.

Looking down at the engagement band that lay on my finger, I then looked back up at Trina," Yes."

I inhaled deeply as we descended down the hallway. There were several girls in front of me and several behind carrying the train of the dress. I could feel the goose bumps forming all over my body as we exited my home quarters for one last time. Penelope was the last Sopespian that would live in those quarters…

Walking down the corridors was one of the most anxiety-building times I think I have ever experienced. We couldn't have seemed to be going any slower. I felt wetness beginning to form on the palms of my hands as I tightly clutched the bouquet in my hands. My heart felt as though it was beating out of my chest. I felt Penelope coming up beside me.

"Breathe," she encouraged me softly, and I inhaled sharply," I don't see why you're so uptight."

"You try wearing a corset…and being nervous…at the same time," I said, still feeling as though oxygen was leaving me.

"You're fine just keep walking," she encouraged me as we started down the stairs, Trina came to my side once more.

"Have you heard anything of Jacob?" I asked her softly, feeling the nervousness over him all over again.

She looked at me puzzled," Jacob? Your brother?"

I hadn't ever really told Trina much of Jacob and basically, all she knew about him was that he was my brother. It was a little foolish for me to ask her, but I couldn't help but wonder. The look of confusion on her face told me that she had heard nothing unusual, which made me breathe a little easier. Perhaps, he wouldn't come. Perhaps, he would wait.

"Never mind," I told her quickly, realizing how foolish I did sound.

She smiled at me as she quickened her pace down the stairs, squeezing my hand one last time. The feel of her comforting hand made my heart slowly down slightly. As soon as we reached the first level, we were only a matter of a few footsteps away. The doors to the courtyard stood wide open and as we grew closer, my sister glanced at me.

"You okay?" she asked me once more before grabbing the arm of one of the young fellows that Trina had invited to be in the wedding party-I never could seem to remember his name…

Stopping just before the doorway, I nodded," Of course."

I would be alright. Sure… I was just overreacting to all of this right? I knew how my heart felt. In fact, I could never picture myself marrying anyone else. Caspian was the only one for me and all I needed to do was relax.

Right.

Relax.

I could do that.

"I'm going to go take a seat next to Apollo now," Trina came up beside me, whispering," You're alright from here?"

It seemed like everyone wanted to ask me the same question. Was it written on my face how anxious I was? Did I really look that nervous?

"Of course," I said, in the same tone as I had just told my sister.

She smiled at me one last time before sneaking into the courtyard through one of the back entrances. Penelope soon had already exited the area and was heading down the aisle. Nearby, I noticed Doctor Cornelius, wearing his finest dress robes as he walked up beside me and laced his arm through mine.

"You look absolutely stunning, Rosalie," he whispered to me, I could hear the harp playing ever so softly from the ceremony.

"Thank you," I replied, my voice barely audible.

He sighed as he looked me over," I've been waiting for this day ever since you were a little girl. Your mother would be so thrilled."

An embarrassed smile came to my lips," She would, wouldn't she?"

"She always told me that Caspian was the boy she wanted you to marry," he told me as we inched closer to the door.

"Really?" I asked him, raising a brow. I really shouldn't have acted so surprised, but my emotions were running so high right now that I could hardly speak.

"Oh she did," he ensured me," But she always knew that the both of you were meant to be together."

I chuckled as he took a step in front of me, looking me straight on as he pulled the veil over my face before I said," I'm glad that I am making her proud."

"Dear, child, you would have made her proud no matter who you chose to marry. She loved you, and Penelope, and even Jacob so dearly," he said, once again so quietly I could barely hear him.

The music came louder and before I knew it I was standing at the doorway. Two girls stood in front of the door, holding a sort of privacy curtain so that no one could see me just yet as they adjusted the train behind me. I clutched the bouquet tight and having Doctor Cornelius there for support made me more relaxed. With one last smile at him, we both nodded to the girls, who dropped the curtain.

And then, nothing else mattered.

My eyes locked on the dark eyes of Caspian and it was like no one else was even there. Even though my face may have been covered by the veil, I could still see his bright smile through the material. All of the nervous-ness, all of the anxiety disappeared as I looked into the face of the man that I _loved_. I hardly even noticed the majestic lion standing at the end, for I was much to caught up in the moment. Typically, I would have not liked to have all of those eyes staring at me, but on that day, it did not matter.

All that mattered was _my _King standing at the end of the aisle. His robes a royal purple to match the scheme of the wedding and his crown perched atop of his thick, dark hair. The smile on my face wouldn't seem to go away. All of I could seem to do was smile and if we were walking slow before, we were like molasses now. I found that all I wanted to do was throw my arms around him and forget about my brother…forget about the troubles that I could feel brewing.

He appeared to be just as elated as I was. This was every little girl's dream to walk down the aisle in a castle and become royalty. Even if I didn't prefer all of the glamour, I couldn't help but become lost in the moment. I was completely in my dream until I realized that we had reached the end of the aisle.

Still not breaking my gaze from Caspian, Aslan's mighty voice spoke," Who gives this young lady to be married?"

"Her family, your liege," Doctor Cornelius spoke, his voice confident as he looked at the strong lion, sitting tall at the alter.

One last time, Doctor Cornelius looked at me right in the eyes, through the sheer material of the veil, and smiled. He squeezed both of my hands tight before pulling the material away from my face. I tried to step away, but couldn't seem to do it without embracing him.

Just as I made my way to the alter and stood, facing Caspian for the first time without my veil, I heard the lion whisper to me.

"Hello again, my child," he said to me quietly before speaking once more.

I looked at him and grinned," Hello, Aslan."

Then, my gaze was turned to Caspian. His smile was brighter than I had ever seen it before, in all of my years of knowing him, never had I seen him so happy. I then pictured what my face must have appeared to be like and I concluded that I had to look just the same. Before the ceremony started, Caspian whispered to me quietly," You look gorgeous, Rosalie."

"You don't look so bad yourself," I murmured just as quietly.

Then, Aslan spoke. And when Aslan spoke. Everyone, and I mean everyone, listened.

"We have come together today to witness the marriage of King Caspian the Tenth and Lady Rosalie Sopespian," he started, I was still in awe that he was really there, marrying Caspian and I," True marriage is the uniting of two souls attuned to each other. It is fitting that an outer acknowledgement is made. We are here to bear witness to the entry into a closer relationship of husband and wife between these friends who are already one in spirit, as all of us have witnessed ever since they were small children."

Caspian and I shot a glance at each other and smiled at this, before turning our attention to Aslan once more.

"Caspian and Rosalie you are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world that we all know, you love best. You are adding to your lives and you are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and love. At the end of this ceremony you will legally be husband and wife but you still must decide each and every day that stretches before you that you want to be married. Not only will you be married as one person, but you will be married as one leader. One leader of a great nation."

His words were so poetic, so lovely that I could hardly think my own vows would be able to compare to that.

"Now, we let us move on to vows, which both Caspian and Rosalie have prepared themselves. From here, I will allow Lady Rosalie, if you will," he looked to me and I swallowed hard.

I had spent plenty of time thinking over just what I wanted to say, but I didn't have a set script written. Shaking, I felt Caspian's hands come in contact with my own. Swallowing hard, I met his eyes and spoke, loud as I could so that all could hear. Reassuringly, he squeezed my hands gently before I spoke. My heart was beating so hard that I knew everyone must have been able to hear it.

"I, Rosalie, knew that from the first day I met you, you would become my best friend. Even at six years old, I was right because from that day forward, you have been my strong tower, my shoulder to cry on, and an ear to listen to me. Just because we are standing at this alter, does not change what I will do for you. I have always loved you and always will. Though hard times and good times, through sickness and through health, I will always be there by your side. I know that being King can be a lot of pressure as I have seen the changes in you, but I promise that from this day forward, I will be the Queen that you need to support you and to help you through the trials that may come upon us. I love you, Caspian, and you alone. "

He smiled at me, that charming little smile that he had shown me for seemingly all my life. At this time, Aslan spoke again," Now, Rosalie, we will continue with the ring ceremony. At this time, retrieve the ring from your sister."

Briefly, I turned back to Penelope to grab the ring which I had crafted for Caspian. It was the exact ring his mother had given to his father on their wedding day and I found that having it sized would be a nice surprise for Caspian.

Swallowing hard once more, I placed the ring at the tip of his left finger and said," I devote myself to you and as I have given you my hand to hold, I give you my life to keep. With this ring, I pray that you remember that my love for you is never dying."

We had decided long before the wedding, that we did not want a scripted out wedding. We wanted the audience to feel as though they were watching an intimate ceremony that they were equally involved in and by writing our own vows and doing our own 'thing', I think we accomplished this. I had been very nervous over what I was to say, but in that moment-the words came out seamlessly.

Aslan, and seemingly all the other members of the crowd turned to Caspian as I watched him inhale sharply, still holding tightly to my hands," Rosalie, when I first laid eyes upon you, I knew that you were the person whom my heart beat for. Through dark times, you have proven to me even more so that it is only you whom I could truly love. Before all gathered here today, I want you to know that I will always be by your side as long as we both shall live. Not only will I be a hand to guide you, I will be your shoulder to cry on for eternity. I look forward to the days we spend as husband and wife. Let us make our two lives one, for you are the one that I want today, tomorrow, and forever."

Though I could feel them building, tears did not fall from my eyes. How genuine the words sounded coming from his lips! They sounded so natural as if he had spent years preparing them. All I could seem to do was smile, as he held my hands tight.

He turned away briefly to grab the ring from his groomsmen, but soon I found his eyes once more locked on mine," With this ring, I take you to be both my wife and Queen. This ring symbolizes my never-ending love, care, and devotion for you."

I felt the ring meet my skin once more and my eyes immediately gazed upon the beautiful ring that lay upon my finger. The stone in the middle was unlike any other diamond or gem I had seen before, but before I could admire it for too long, Aslan was speaking once more. This was the time that tears were flowing from my eyes. Fast.

"Devoting ones self to another and being loving at all times may be hard enough, but keep in mind that the both of you have a country watching you very closely at all times. I haven't a shadow of a doubt that you, Rosalie, just like Caspian will set a wonderful example for all of the people to follow. All of us here, myself included pray that the love the two of you share will never die and that you both will be strong towers for the other to lean on," he said, looking between the two of us. Should magic be real, then it most definitely was floating in the air as I stood there, eyes locked with Caspian.

A smile came to the lion's face," I wish you the best in your upcoming years together. Above all else, remember that it is not just you to serve, but the other as well. Rosalie and Caspian, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Before the crowd could begin clapping too loudly, Aslan looked directly at Caspian," You may kiss your bride."

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I looked at him, our hands still connected, but then as soon as Aslan said these words, like lighting I felt Caspian's hands on either side of my face and his lips pressed hard against my own. Surprised by the intensity of the kiss, I allowed myself to smile. When we broke away Caspian pressed his forehead against my own," Can you believe this?"

I laughed aloud before grabbing his hand as we broke to face the crowd," Hardly."

"I now present to you the King and Queen of Narnia, Mr. and Mrs. Caspian," just as the mighty lions words echoed, the crowd broke into a ridiculous outburst of cheers and clapping.

The odd part was that as I looked back, my hand clutched in Caspian's as we made our way down the aisle, the lion was gone. Almost as if no one had ever been there.

How mysterious Aslan was!

* * *

It seemed to me that almost every single person wanted to speak with us that day. Which, I guess, made sense, but what those people did not realize was that for the number of guests that we had, we did not have the right amount of time to have a long conversation with each and every one of them. I actually enjoyed visiting for the first half hour or so, but the farther we progressed…the less enthusiastic I became, but I had Trina to remind me to stay chipper.

The grand room in the castle had been decorated marvelously. Purple draperies over the windows, purple flowers garnishing the tables where the patrons were to sit. At the end of the room, sitting in front of the large stain-glassed window was the longest table, where I assumed would be where the 'bridal party 'was to be seated.

After spending, seemingly, the entire afternoon speaking with all sorts of guests over _all_ (and believe me when I say _all_) topics, we were finally ushered over to our table where a hot meal was already awaiting us. It was rather entertaining to watch the festivities that Trina had planned for the reception, that I could hardly focus on the food.

I don't even believe that I finished my meal that night for creatures from all over Narnia came to the table as we ate, wishing us good things.

A troop of dwarves came up and shook all of our hands, wishing us the best. Reepicheep and his troop of mice weaved their way up to the table to speak with us briefly. Centaurs, minotaur, boggarts, dryads, gnomes (whom I did not actually realized had their own colonization until Caspian informed me), fauns came to sing, and the list continues to go on for miles. I'm sure the people who were sitting in the reception must have felt a little out of place because for a time being as we were not used to being exposed to all of these creatures. It was still new for them sit next to a faun at the dinner table. Very new.

But changes were still to be done in this new Narnia. In this new age.

Moonlight soon graced the grounds of the castle as we continued to eat, drink, and laugh merrily together. The chandelier in the room stood high above the floor. All of the food was devoured, Caspian and I had already cut the cake to allow everyone to enjoy the festivities. It was when we made our way to have our first dance together that everything seemed to change.

All eyes watched as we slowly made our way to the center of the room, he bowed to me slightly, which made me chuckle before I delicately grabbed his hand. I felt his hand move to the small of my back, his grasp on me protective and as I stood there. A light touch of music was played in the background as I rested my head on his chest, exhausted from the whole day.

"I've waited for this day for so long," he mumbled to me, no one else able to hear his voice other than me.

My cheek was pressed against his and softly I whispered back," As have I. This whole day seems to be like a dream, wouldn't you say?"

"That would be very accurate," he replied, just as quietly as we continued to sway. My eyes drifted shut as I stood there, swaying back and forth in his arms. It was almost intoxicating to be standing so close.

Very soon other couples joined us on the floor, mimicking our actions. Caspian and I continued speaking very quietly with each other over various topics, but it would not stay that peaceful for long.

My gaze found the ceiling as Caspian still held me close. As we swayed, I couldn't help but noticed the candles in the chandelier overheard, flickering. The flames in them seemed to be unsteady and a sudden breeze came through the room. After several moments of staring at it, Caspian asked me," Are you even listening to me?"

"Oh it's just-"

Suddenly, like a thief in the night, a hard breeze came through the hallway. A cool, dark breeze filled the air and blew out nearly all of the candles, leaving us in the dark with nothing but moonlight shining in from the windows. Immediately, I felt his grip on my waist become tighter," What's going on?" I mumbled to him, scanning the room to see just what would cause all the candles to be blown out.

A frightened buzz went through the crowd, some women let out cries while others held their beloved near to them. We all stood silently for the longest time before Reepicheep and his army of men could be heard weaving through the crowd," Out of the way! Whoops, my apologies, miss-important business here! Let's get going, boys! I will have this solved in no time people!"

As the mouse crawled over our feet, I couldn't help but think it be a bad idea. I looked directly at Caspian, holding one hand at his chest," It's probably not a good idea to leave Reep to an investigation."

"Let him have his fun," Caspian mumbled to me, as the air continued to feel even more dark by the minute.

Still, a worried buzz was constant through the air.

"Perhaps, you should say something," I muttered to Caspian, as I felt many eyes looking to us.

He looked at me briefly before nodding and clearing his throat," Ladies and Gentlemen! Have no fear, we are trying to solve-"

Interrupting Caspian was the tall doors to the grand room flew open, I stared at the doors hard as a frantic soldier sprinted through the doors, screaming," He's here! Everyone get-" Before the young man could finish, he fell face forward, his blood spilling everywhere and as he fell we saw the arrow piercing the back of his skull.

I gasped and began to move closer, still keeping Caspian's hand locked in mine," What's going on?" I whispered to him, very hushed," Caspian, I-"

"I have no clue, but don't take any chances. It could be anyone, please, just stay with me, okay?" he said, stopping briefly to make sure that I was listening.

Even though it irritated me that he was treating me like I was a little kid, I still nodded. He…had a point. I couldn't really take any risks, not even like the one that I took with Jacob's croonies. Mentally, I told myself that no matter what this brought, I was going to do as Caspian told me. Right.

More soldiers came flying from all different corners of the room, demanding that Caspian and I keep our distance. All of the running and commotion made the guests even more antsy, everyone seemed to running around frantically. I wish I could say that the next thing did not happen…but I would be lying.

Through those doors came men just like the ones that had snuck into the castle the first time. Dirty, scraggly men, wielding swords and crossbows as they stormed the room. Some of the elderly women didn't know what to do with themselves as it was and it didn't help that these men enjoyed taunting them with their weapons. It didn't take long for our guests to be pushed on one side and their "army" of men on the other.

"Your majesties! Your majesties!" Apollo came running through the crowd, pulling the both of us aside as quickly as he could," You must get out of here while we're trying to secure the premises."

As the man was spitting this out, I couldn't help but watch as the windows, the beautiful stained glass windows were broken in by more men, yelling, and screaming. Sending the whole, beautiful, calm, and even…romantic atmosphere into complete and utter chaos.

"Securing the premises, eh?" I asked him, staring as the men crashed through the windows," How's that going for you?"

More Telmarine soldiers came running to fix the problem. I caught Caspian's gaze and noticed his glare staring at me. Maybe this wasn't the best step in the 'obedient' path, but it was hard not to want to step in and help this…hectic situation. However, just as he started to hurriedly lead us away, I heard a voice.

"Hold up! Stop! Stop! Stop!" the voice echoed through the room, the sound of it so familiar.

At first, I would have thought it to be my father and as I turned back to see who it was, the young man that stood in front of me stood there, with a proud smile on his face. He had not yet spotted me, but I knew immediately what it was that he sought. The room was silent as everyone was staring at this young man, who was now standing on top of one of the beautiful tables, ruining it with the mud on his shoes.

"So, where's the bride?" he asked, saying it almost as if it were a joke. His voice was loud and boisterous, he really was acting as though he had just strolled into his own party.

Jacob Sopespian was no longer a missing person.

**Author's Note: Alright, my apologies once more for not updating very quickly. On top of the fact that I wanted to get this perfect so it took me longer, I have been super super busy. The good thing is that it's Spring Break for me now, which means that I can write a lot! I actually just finished my outline for this story from like now to the end and I can't wait to put it all into play! Eeek ****J Thanks for reading you guys and let me know what you think!**


	11. An Uninvited Guest

**A/N: I own basically nothing in Narnia, all of it goes to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Eleven: The Uninvited Guest

His footsteps seemed to echo as I stood still, my back to him. It was taking everything within me not to turn around and explode at him right there. How _dare_ he. How _dare_ he prance in here and destroy the reception. I slowly turned on my heel to face the young man who was my brother.

"Jacob," I said, or rather, snarled, at him.

Caspian was still trying to nudge me away and…yes I should have gone, but how could I? This was my joker brother return to request my presence. He wanted my presence…fine he could have it.

"Rosalie," Caspian whispered to me, still trying to pull me along," It's not worth it-"

"What a lovely gathering!" Jacob exclaimed, waving his sword about as if it were nothing serious. All those guests gathered around were shaking, wondering just what this man had up his sleeves," My apologies for not attending the actual ceremony, I was running a little behind schedule."

"What is your business here, Jacob?" Caspian demanded before Jacob could ramble any further.

"Oh, why, yes, of course your majesty," he mock bowed before cackling along with his chorus of cronies," Or perhaps I should treat you with a little more respect since you are my _brother_. Welcome to the family."

He had broken an entry into the castle, brought an army of men with him, and absolutely ruined our day. He was finding pleasure in this and I was sick of it. He was better off missing.

"Jacob," I growled once more," You are not welcome here. State your business or else leave."

The laughter ceased as my brothers brown eyes met my eyes. There wasn't a hint of laughter as he stepped toward me," You'd be so bold as to tell me what to do? You'd be so bold as to-"

"I am your King!" Caspian stepped closer to Jacob, growing just as frustrated as I," Whether or not you like it, you will answer to me or Rosalie, whichever you prefer. State your business here. What do you want from us?"

Jacob tilted his head, a small smirk on his face," Not that I fear you would actually be able to stop us if we took you now, but seeing as that would be a little unfair-it would be safe for me to say that I want the crown."

"You'll never touch the crown!" I cried, springing toward Jacob, but Caspian stopped me with both hands, pleading me to stand back.

"And why do you think I'll give it to you?" Caspian challenged after putting me in place.

Another chuckle escaped Jacob's lips," You see, I didn't except that you would just 'hand it over'. I've been planning this out for quite some time now, thanks to our father, Rosalie," Jacob paused, looking as though he were arguing with himself before turning to one of his sidekicks," Whaddya think, should I tell them?"

"I wanna see th' look on their faces!" the scum cackled.

With a sigh, Jacob said," Well then, as you can see, I have gathered an army, your _majesties_," he told us, spitting out the last word," A week from today, my army will march on the grounds of Telmar. No, this will not be a battle that takes place on a battlefield, it will be right here at home. A week from today, we will overtake the castle."

"You really will share your exact battle plans?" Caspian asked, releasing his grip on me," For some reason, I don't believe you. I don't trust your word."

"Why, brother, I am appalled! You asked me a question and I merely answered honestly," Jacob defended, the look of hurt so fake on his face that it was laughable "It would be rather unfair should I just attack in the night, don't you think?" Jacob asked with a raise of his brow," Unlike you, your liege, I would at least like to give you a warning. Because-by the looks of it, you're going to need all the help you can get," they all broke into laughter.

"Why not just destroy us now? Your words are meaningless to us," Caspian replied," That is if you really have an army."

I placed a hand on Caspian," Careful."

Jacob's face was about to turn angry, but he kept it covered with this carefree act very well.

"Well, I have some planning of my own, you see," Jacob told the both of us, his tone still treating the whole situation as some joke," It appears as though I've already said too much, I really should be getting on my way."

He started to turn on his heel, but before he could, he turned back toward us with a finger raised," Just a moment, send word to your head of the military-General, I think it is- he can run, but he can't hide for long."

Caspian shot a look to me and then met Apollo's gaze before storming toward Jacob, but before he could touch him, Jacob's men surrounded their leader," You've been the cause of all that? All of the-"

"Shh, shh," Jacob hushed him, shaking his sword at him," I've already said too much."

"Jacob!" Caspian growled," Jacob, this isn't you. You're-"

Suddenly, Jacob sprung toward Caspian," How do you know _what_ I am?"

"Jacob, you're better than this. Please, just-" I tried, but he merely cut me off.

"Don't try to fix this, Rosalie," he rolled his eyes at me," You've already ruined my life quite enough."

Guilt pinged through me as I shut up, obviously embarrassed.

Shifting his gaze back to Caspian, he said," Let's make something clear. Your crown will be mine so I suggest you enjoy your last few days as King. Enjoy your life with your new little Queen, whatever, but when the week's end comes-be ready for a change around here."

"You will never be King," Caspian shook his head, trying to sound confident.

"Are you telling me that?" Jacob challenged with a chuckle," Or are you trying to convince yourself that I'm not going to _take_ it from you?" He stared at him hard for a couple more moments before saying," Please, Caspian."

With one last eye roll, he turned away toward the windows that had been smashed in earlier. Since they had bolted the doors shut, the reinforcements that had been called were pounding at the door. Jacob shot a look at the King before climbing upon one of the tables, addressing the crowd while Apollo started to run frantically through the crowd, pulling any Telmarine soldiers that were still lingering in the room.

"Somebody, stop him!" Caspian cried at Apollo," Do _not _let him get out of here!"

"Caspian, what-" I started to ask him before he could turn away, and I watched as he placed both of his hands on my arms and looked directly at me.

"Rosalie, please, we've got to catch him. He's just made a threat that could-"

"Let me go with you, don't-"

"No!" he scolded, his voice harsh," Please, stay here."

I was angry. More than angry. Angry at my pathetic brother who had been keeping hidden away for all this time. Angry at Caspian for treating me like I was of no use to this. Fuming, I jerked out of his grasp as I heard the door with the Telmarine troops behind it fly open, and my brother had yet to speak or leave.

Emily was pulling me away, but I at least wanted to hear his last words.

"Ah, citizens of Narnia, it has been an _honor_ meeting all of you! I hope to see you all again soon-only next time-as your King!"

And with that he was gone.

Everyone was sent into a frenzy once more, but the Telmarine troops coming through cried out, trying to create some sense of security. The last of Jacob's cronies escaped through the window as the Telmarines soon ran after him. All I could do was stare as Caspian grabbed a sword, and in his dress robes and all, looked up at me, before turning away, right on the trail of my brother.

Wasn't the wedding day suppose to be one of the most tranquil, peaceful, romantic days of a girl's life?

Many questions were buzzing through my head as Emily and my sister pulled me away, but the largest one was this: How had Jacob managed to breech the walls with so little people?

* * *

For many hours, Emily, Penelope, and I sat in the royal quarters with the doors locked, just as we had been ordered to. Despite the orders that Trina had given me to stay away from the window, I couldn't help but glance every once in awhile as I paced around, nervously.

"Rosalie, you really should try to be more calm about this," Penelope told me, taking a sip of a glass of water as she sat.

"More calm? More calm?" I exclaimed, pacing around the room, in my night gown, hair down and waved from the braids, after the two of them had finally convinced me to change," Our brother just ruined the wedding day! Penelope, it's a little hard to stay calm."

I knew I was overreacting and I knew that I should have calmed down, but it was so hard to not feel an intense level of hate toward our older sibling. But I think that deep down, I was more scared than anything. Bitter hatred was on the outside, but I was terrified of just what Jacob could do. If he could penetrate the walls of the castle on one of the most guarded days that would ever be-then what was stopping him from doing it again and doing more damage?

"You know how Jacob is," she told me with a sigh," He's a lot of hot air. He probably is just on one of his-I don't know-rebellion crud that he always seemed to get into with mom and dad."

I narrowed my eyes at her," He never killed anyone before, Penelope."

"Okay, I'm just trying to look on the bright side," she finally gave up before Emily came into the room," I was just as surprised as you were to see Jacob. Typically, he was always the one who took orders from dad or mom respectfully and now, he's his gotten his own rebellion. Thanks to dad, that is."

"You don't think he will try anything?" I asked her, trying to give some hope to the case.

She stood up," I don't know, Rosalie. To be honest, he surprised us this much so far-who's stopping him from doing it again."

I stopped and let out a sigh as I stared out the magnificent window in Caspian's study," That's comforting."

"It's reality," she said, trying to defend herself," I don't want to lie to you."

It was at this time that Emily rose from her seat, always trying to bring out the best in everyone and make sure that everyone was happy. By the look on her face, I could tell that she was only trying to please us as she said.

"Perhaps, it be best that we retire for the night?" she asked with a raise of her brow," I know that we've all had a long day."

Still staring out the window, I folded my arms over my chest before nodding and looking over at the servant girl who really was one of my closest companions," You're probably right."

She smiled bright as I walked over to embrace her," Thank you for everything, Emily."

"If you need anything during the night-_anything-_please do not hesitate to come and get me."

I nodded as I broke away from her and Penelope was already grabbing me from the side. I embraced her sideways before she said to me finally," Don't worry your heart over all this, okay? Caspian will be okay. He's pretty smart…most of the time," she teased lightly as Emily led her out of the room.

Despite my sister's assurance, I still felt like a piece of my heart were gone. I traveled through the sitting room to bedchambers. How foreign it all was to me. I had spent most of the afternoon in the suite and had not even taken the time to walk through the rest of the quarters. The bed was so lavish, much too lavish that any bed should be. Four posters, lovely golds and maroons garnished the material that lie atop of the bed. I ran my hand along the material before continuing to the balcony that extended off the side of the room.

Standing there, looking over the dark landscape made me feel even more alone. Just hours ago, I was standing at the alter with Caspian, the man whom I loved, and now he was gone. I was not one to be much of a romantic type, like so many women were, but it did seem unfit that a new bride should be alone, especially on her wedding night, from her husband. But then again, I reminded myself that when I said 'I do' to Caspian, I was also saying 'I do' to Narnia. This was what needed to be done.

Somewhere out there, Jacob was running away, probably laughing over his little scheme, while Caspian was leading more men to gallivant after him. There was no more mystery over who was causing the events out West, well there was, but at least now we were one step closer to solving it.

**Author's Note: There we have it! Let me know what you guys think :) Much love!**


	12. Back, Then Gone Again

**Author's Note: Nothing really belongs to me.**

Chapter Twelve: Back Then Gone Again

I ran my fingers through my hair, leaning with all of my weight against the balcony. Was this really all happening once more? History was repeating itself once again…How long could I stay there waiting for a sign of something to give me some hope that all of this was not happening?

Finally, I found myself moving into the wash room off of the royal suite. It was still very disorientating to be in a room that was not my own. All of my life had been spent in a castle, yes, but not here. Not in these quarters. When I walked into the wash room, I noted the single perfume bottle sitting on the vanity with a single parchment attached to it. I took a seat at the vanity and untied the note.

_We all agreed on this one. ~Girls_

A smile grew on my face. Sometimes I wondered why I was blessed with such caring servant girls. Slowly, I popped the cork from the top of the bottle and inhaled the fragrance. A warm scent entered my nose, a very warm scent, unlike the floral that my maids typically would choose for me. I turned the bottle over on my wrist and quickly turned it back over before moving to the other wrist and patting the wet substance behind my ear as well.

I looked into the mirror just as a yawn escaped my mouth. Maybe I could get some rest tonight…all I needed to do was let all of this settle in. I needed to listen to my sister and be strong. Perhaps, I was depending too much on others to take care of me. Over the last year, I had basically had all of my needs spoon-fed to me and this was my chance to prove to myself that I was still strong and could still be calm through all of this.

Slowly, I pulled myself up from the vanity and exited the wash room. As I leaned against the doorway and looked over the grand room, I noticed that not only had the girls left perfume in the wash room, they had also spread rose petals over floor. Another smile came to my face as I walked over to the covers and pulled them away gently. Still not giving up all hope, I climbed atop of the bed and tried to relax myself.

I found sleep came and went. It would grace my eyes, but soon after I would find myself thrashing about and waking up, even shrieking once or twice. After one dream, I actually screamed for the image I saw in my dream was of the castle burning and Telmarines running away in fear. However, I was trapped on the inside, alone. It was so viciously real that I couldn't stand to try and sleep through it anymore.

Finding that sleep would probably not come anytime soon, I crawled over to the edge of the bed and walked back over to the wash room. There was some water remaining in the basin that lay on the floor. I picked it up and splashed a bit of the cold water onto my face. Both of my elbows resting on the counter, I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to shake the image from my head. I felt so childish…I couldn't even go to sleep…good grief.

Then I felt a pair of hands at my waist and almost jumped out of my skin. I hardly needed to turn around to know who it was, but never the less, I turned quickly to see Caspian standing there.

"What is wrong?" he whispered into my ear as I threw my arms around his neck.

Not answering his question, I replied with one of my own," Have you caught him?"

Softly, I broke away from Caspian and looked directly into his eyes through the moonlight," He has not been caught, no."

"Then why-" I asked, my voice becoming more worried.

"Shhh," he moved a finger up to my lips, still looking directly at me," Can you trust me enough to not worry about him for now? I came back to be with _you._"

It would be hard for me to put Jacob out of my head for it was still unnerving for me to think of him lurking around out there, but I soon forgot of him briefly as I felt Caspian's lips on my neck. He didn't have to come back, in fact, he should have stayed, but…he wanted to be with me. I was blessed with a man far better than what I ever should have deserved.

* * *

"So there still is a troop chasing after him? Right?" I asked Caspian that next morning, the sun already high in the sky as I sat on the balcony.

He stood both hands on the railing of the balcony, gazing over the landscape," Yes, and we are going to deploy more search parties after him."

I took a look at the fruit that had been brought in to us and took a bite out of the apple sitting perched on top," So that he won't have a chance to get to the castle, right?"

Caspian looked at me out of the side of his eye and nodded, obviously irritated," Yes, that's why. I really wish you wouldn't worry about all this."

I picked at the skin of the apple before taking another bite," I'm sorry, it's just that I don't want what happened last time to happen again."

"I thought you were _longing_ for adventure?" he teased me gently, trying to lighten the mood.

"Adventure would be nice, theoretically, but I think now that I realize how real this could be-it's a little frightening," I admitted to him, a smile on my face.

There was a silence as he nodded his head," I would have to agree with you. I thought that perhaps I could walk into this and bring peace to this nation, but it looks as though I am going to have to work hard."

Gently, I tossed the apple core aside and walked up beside him," You will still be an excellent leader. Despite what my brother says, he mostly full of it."

Caspian sighed," He makes me anxious, Rosalie. If General, the one who doesn't scare easily, is telling me that he is retreating-then your brother must really have an even larger army waiting out West. I received a transcript from him last night that claimed he needed reinforcement."

I furrowed my brow at him," What does this mean? Are you going to send him more help?"

Without looking at me, he nodded," Yes…" he trailed off and I could tell by the tone of his voice that there was more.

"And…?" I questioned further, trying to figure out what was going on inside his head.

"I thought that this could be avoided, Rosalie. I thought that I could send General out there to take care of the problem and it would all be over, but now I know that there is someone behind all of this. Jacob alluded to the fact that your father had been building this, had been helping him with this-this army. He's been intending to overthrow the King for years and now, this is Jacob's opportunity. A new King, a new young leadership has arisen and this is his chance," for the first time, Caspian turned to me," And I, me personally, will not allow him to do it."

I started to understand what Caspian was hinting at.

"I'm leaving to find Jacob. I'm leading this battle on them and once and for all, the evil that your father conjured will be destroyed," he admitted to me, looking directly into my eyes.

Leaving? He was leaving…leaving me _alone_.

This was exactly what I had feared.

I took in a lot of air before breaking my gaze with him," You can't leave me alone, Caspian. I haven't the slightest clue on how to run a nation."

"Well you technically haven't had your coronation-" Caspian started and then I ran with it.

"Postpone the coronation until after you return!" I exclaimed, thinking my idea to be brilliant.

He shook his head," Rosalie, if I am to leave, the people need a strong leader to look up to."

"Then, appoint Apollo, or something, but _not me_," I pleaded with him, wanting almost anything other than to have all of the pressure of Queen put onto me.

Caspian placed both of his hands on my shoulders," Why do you doubt yourself?" he whispered so softly.

"Because I have never done that before," I argued," I have never led before."

He looked at me disapprovingly," I have never seen a woman who has led more than you. Has everything you have done during the skirmish with Miraz counted for nothing? Does none of that matter to you? Look at yourself, one of the things I love about you most is your bravery Rosalie, please don't back out on me now. My council of advisors has agreed to help you, there are no other men that I would trust more to help you than them."

He may have been right, but this was all different. This was me, taking the lives of Narnians into my hands. I don't believe I had much of a choice…I collapsed into his arms before saying," Even if I am a good leader, will I be able to deal with not knowing if you are safe or not?"

His hand moved under my chin and forced me to look up at him," I will write to you as frequently as I can."

A small smile came to my face before a sigh escaped my mouth," Do I dare ask how long it is we have together until you are deployed?"

"Four days," he said.

In those four days, a lot of events took place. All of them happening so quickly, that I hardly was able to keep up with them. I would have loved to be able to enjoy my coronation ceremony and to be able to absorb the experience, but almost immediately after the ceremony, I was being pulled away by Caspian and the council to speak of all of the tasks that I was to do in his absence. The castle was an extremely busy place and I could hardly think straight.

One of my first tasks as Queen was to help in the organizing of battle plans of the army, though I was not the one in charge of this, I was still expected to be present in order to understand what was going on. Most of the intricacies of the battle plans, I was not interested in, but I did have to understand what I was to do if something were to go wrong.

When four days had passed, I found small comfort in the fact that I had spent the last three days talking over what needed to be done with the advisors. Several of the men were leaving alongside Caspian in order to fight this army that Jacob had created, they may not have known the specifics of where he was, but they knew what to do should they see him again. I was nervous over the whole idea, due to the fact that there wasn't a specific plan, but they all seemed to be rather confident on the idea.

I found myself rising early that morning, carefully unweaving myself from Caspian's arms. The morning that I knew he was to leave. I had risen before him and sat in his study, looking over his battle plans once more. Clad in my night clothes still, I vigorously was studying the notes he had lain out on his desk. He came in soon, looking over my shoulder.

"I hardly think there is much more to be done now," he told me, leaning down and placing a kiss on my cheek as he buttoned the long sleeve, white cotton shirt.

"I can never be too sure," I replied, looking up at him, smiling.

He chuckled while turning the chair away from the plans. He fastened the last button on his shirt before pulling me upward, away from the papers," Is it even worth me telling you not to worry?"

"Probably not," I told him, still smirking," You know that I'm going to."

"What happened to the fearless Rosalie I knew just a year or two ago?" he questioned, tilting his head at me.

"She was forced to grow up a little bit. And in the process she lost almost everything she had," I told him carefully," She was forced to grow some concern."

He nodded his head understandingly before saying," Perhaps, this more mature Rosalie, should change into some nicer clothing, hmm?"

I looked down at the night gown I was wearing before looking back up at him," What? You do not like this look? I found it to be rather…hmm…what do you say….elegant? No?"

He released a chuckle before taking a seat in his chair," Would it be best that I not reply?"

A look of shock came to my face," You are allowed to look over the plans, but I am not? Is that what you are telling me Caspian?"

In defense, he lifted his hands," I merely am looking over what the agenda is for today. I am going to be using these for my benefit, but you are only going to look at them and worry more."

I started to argue, but before I could there was a loud knock at the door. With a final glare to Caspian, I turned to answer the door. Standing at the door, was no other than Trina and Emily, rushing in with a group of girls behind them. I had been planting a false hope in my head that I may not have to go through with this, but since today would be a day that many eyes would be upon me, I had to look nice.

They dragged me into the wash room in the quarters and started almost immediately. The usual process was taken and before I knew it, I was clad in, no longer my night dress, but a more elaborate, golden yellow dress. It was no one near as long as my wedding dress had been, nor any of my other dresses for that matter. It was much lighter and easier to walk in. Just as the young girl had finished wrapping my hair around the hot rod, the crown, the lovely crown that had been gifted to me just days ago, was placed atop of my head.

It was still very odd to look in the mirror and see the crown perched there, but this was me. This was the new, stronger Rosalie. The Queen of Narnia. Right. And just as I was being escorted out of the room, I felt Emily pull me aside.

"Did you like the perfume?" she asked hushed, two other girls beside her, grinning wildly.

"It was lovely," I answered," I loved it, thank you girls."

"I think a more appropriate question would be if _Caspian_ liked it," the girl next to her quipped, chuckling as she did so.

Color flushed to my face, as well as Emily, who immediately scolded the girl, saying it was not her place. Soon after I tried to chuckle about the matter and replied by meekly saying," He did."

Embarrassed, I quickened my pace to where I was walking equal with Trina. Before we could leave, however, both Caspian and Apollo emerged from his study, fully clad in their armor. Ready to go off to war.

"Look at this," Trina mumbled in my ear," Both of our husbands, off to war."

I looked at her and nodded softly, she meant well and softly squeezed my hand before adding on to her comment," They'll be alright."

"Of course they will," I said aloud, while Caspian came by my side," I won't have it any other way."

Walking down the hallways were some of the most dreary times, but for some reason, they weren't nearly as awful as I imagined them to be. Most of the time was actually spent in pleasant conversation while stopping ever so briefly to chat with some men here and there and some other servants. There were plenty of tears shed after we came to the streets, however. Men were leaving their families, boys leaving their families, all sorts of tears were being shed.

It was heart wrenching to watch as they left the women crying, some even screaming for them to come back. Seeing all of this should have made me even more sad, but I think it may have been what I needed to see. In my heart, I felt a piece break for these crying women. I felt my heart bleed for them which drove me even more to be strong. It drove me to set an example for them. I wanted to relate with them. I wanted them to see that I was losing my husband as well and that I was going through the same thing as them…but that there was still hope for us yet.

Jacob, my brother, would not be the downfall of this great nation. Absolutely not. I would not allow it.

Just as we arrived at the end of the walkway, I felt Caspian squeeze my hand one last time. I looked ahead to see the rest of the army already forming and I saw two horses, one for him, and one for Apollo being brought so that they could ride to the front. Soon I saw Reepicheep run up in front of us along with his troop of mice, he tipped his ring to us before scurrying onward. Plenty of centaurs and other mystical creatures ran by us, finding their own spots in the marching line.

He looked me up and down before taking my other hand in his," I'm sorry that it has to be like this, Rosalie."

I looked at him, swallowing hard before answering," I have come to terms with it. It would be selfish for me to have you stay here, Caspian."

Tenderly, he leaned in and kissed my cheek, whispering in my ear," Love, I will be back. You may mark my words that I will not leave you alone for long."

Slowly, I pulled away from him," Do what you must do. Get the job done. Do not come home any sooner than when you absolutely can, when Narnia is absolutely safe."

A smile grew on his face as he released one of my hands," You will do an excellent job, Rosalie. Good bye, for now."

"Good bye," I whispered to him, squeezing his hand one last time before he walked away, leaving me standing alone in the street.

He walked over to his horse and climbed on, waiting for Apollo who was just now able to break away from a weeping Trina. Several moments later, Apollo was climbing onto his own steed and the both of them rode to the front of the army. All of the men looked impenetrable, strong in their mail chain and weapons at their side. Each of them held a shield in front of them and within moments they were already cleared out of the town, leaving in the streets, a crowd of weeping women and shrieking children. I looked over to see Trina, beautiful Trina, who had just appeared so strong, breaking down in the middle of the street, on her hands and knees.

Gently, I walked over to her, holding back a tear in my own eye. This was what Caspian was speaking of. Narnia once more, needed a leader, and I, Rosalie Sopespian, would be there to always take care of it. No matter what.

"Trina," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her," Trina, they'll be just fine."

She fell into my arms, still balling," I know, I know, dear, it's just that- I have never been apart from him like this. Never has he been in a war, you must understand this."

And with a tear running down my own face, I placed both of my hands on her shoulders as I leaned on the street wit her," You must be strong, Trina. They are going off to protect us, protect this marvelous nation. Now you and I must preserve it so that it is just as wonderful when they return."

She sniffled once before placing a hand on top of mine," You are ready for this?"

"I never said I was ready," I admitted to her, shaking my head," In fact, I probably could not be more unprepared, but I haven't a choice. I made a vow to both this country and to my husband that I would be there no matter what and this, look around at this Trina, this is most definitely not one of the perks of being married or being Queen, but it does not matter for I have my word to this country."

She nodded her head as she wiped away a tear," I believe," she sniffled," That we can do this."

"Of course we can," I smiled as I started to stand up," Now, let's show these women that we are here for them."

**Author's Note: Alrighty, so there we go. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story, I have a lot more I want to do, but I haven't really been getting much feedback as of late and want to make sure ya'll are still interested! Let me know what you think ****:) All feedback is read by me and welcome! Love you guys!**


	13. A Bothersome Lady and An Innocent Boy

**A/N: I don't own much. C.S. Lewis=owner.**

Chapter Thirteen: A Bothersome Lady and An Innocent Servant

"Miss, I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do to stop the children from _laughing_. It's a common thing that children partake in, especially at their age," I told the elderly woman who stood in the throne room, she was one of many examples of people coming in to make complaints to the Queen over what they would like to see changed.

Day after day, this same lady would come in complaining over the children that lived near her bungalow and from what the other men in the council told me, she did every day when Caspian was around as well.

"But that young man over there told me he would do something about it!" she exclaimed, pointing to Caspian's councilmen, Thomas.

Before Thomas could explain, I stepped forward," Madam, I know that he probably said something along those lines and I'm sorry, but I think that we have decided that the children don't pose a threat to anyone. In fact, I think all of us could be victim of…laughing. There's nothing we can do to fix this problem. I'm sorry."

She scowled at me before I could come any closer and started cursing as she left. I started to say something else, but I threw my hands up in aggravation as she was already leaving. Perhaps, she would not come back again. Maybe, just maybe. As morbid as the thought was, it sounded somewhat pleasant.

As she exited the room, gruffling all the way, I plopped back down on the throne and rubbed my temple. They soon shut the doors and closed it for all visitors for the day.

"Does she not understand? Was I too harsh?" I asked, absentmindedly as I tried to rub away the headache that had formed.

"I hardly think that she will ever be able to fully comprehend what we have told her," Thomas commented with a small chuckle," She will more than likely be back tomorrow."

A groan escaped my mouth," Is it bad that I don't look forward to tomorrow?"

Laughter rang through the room," Not at all," Marcus comforted me as I sat up.

"Alright, gentlemen," I said with a smile still on my face," What have you for me today?"

The buzz of conversation calmed as we proceeded with the typical meeting. It had been a month since the departure of our army and thus far, times had been…good…for the most part. I soon found out that Caspian did much more than I ever realized and that almost every person in town wanted his opinion on something or another. I was not easy being Queen, in fact, it was harder than I first pictured it to be, but I was not going to allow myself to break down. The country needed a leader and I had to be strong. It was the same mantra that I told myself every morning.

"We've received correspondence from your husband," Thomas informed me, standing up to hand me an envelop with parchment inside. Quickly, I opened the letter and began to read over the letter.

_To the Queen and her Council,_

_Thus far in the war effort, I can say is that we have not had anything of much significance happen in the last month other than scaring Jacob just enough to where he would decide against storming the castle. We have set up base in the foothills of the mountains to the West and keep a close guard on all travelers coming or going through this area of the nation. In addition to this, we have taken capture small groups of Jacob's men running around, but they are of little use to us for they have not yet shown any knowledge of where their leader may be._

_We have also met up with General and have slowly been able to heal his original troop of men that were injured in battle. Oddly enough, the other leaders that were sent out with General were supposedly killed by this 'spirit' that General continues to tell me more and more of. I do not know anything for fact as I have yet to witness these supernatural beings, but all I know is that they or it, whatever it is, has killed too many of Narnia's men. I suspect that soon we will have an encounter with this "spirit" and when we do, I intend to find out just what it is and where its origin is._

_On top of this, we have seen giants coming and going freely from their home in the Northern region of Narnia. Not to my surprise, they come bearing weapons. We do not want to draw any premature attention to ourselves, but we have noted that they travel through the foothills to Southern regions of the nation. There are currently two men leaving to stealthily follow these brutes. General has suggested that we move farther North to investigate the strange happenings further, but I am still wary of how this links to Jacob. I want to be certain that we have a connection before I go scouting any further North._

_I pray that all is well in Telmar. I hope that the council has been able to continue to lead the nation and that the new Queen has been able to make a smooth transition. I keep the both you in my thoughts frequently. To my Queen, I send my love and reassurance that I will return home to you (_I left this sentence out as I read it aloud)._ To my council, I pray that you are all still proving to be the strong leadership you have always been._

_No matter what happens, do not give up hope. Do not step down and do not let them scare you. Even should the undesirable happen, stand strong._

_For Narnia,_

_King Caspian X_

"Sounds as though the only action they have seen was merely scaring Jacob in the first week," Thomas commented after I had folded the letter and set it aside for the time being.

Basically, what had happened was that just days after the army had been deported, they ran into Jacob briefly and took enough of his men captured that he became scared. His planned attack that was suppose to happen a week after the wedding…never happened. In fact, Telmar and the other regions of Narnia had been at total peace ever since then.

"Yes, as far as tracking Jacob Sopespian, they have not made much progress," Marcus added.

"What makes me nervous is that we are giving so much of our trust to General, the newest and darkest leader that Caspian has appointed," another fellow added from his spot.

I nodded my head in agreement before saying," As much as I would like to agree with this, because I do, I have to say that Caspian's judgment is all we can trust on the fellow. If he trusts him, then I suppose we should as well."

I saw a few nods in the group, but the fellow who doubted General the first time spoke up again," Perhaps, that is easier for you to say considering that you are the King's wife and naturally would share common interests as the King, however, I feel as though we should advise Caspian against trusting the likes of General."

I wanted to say something much more disrespectful than I had intended," Sir, I understand your discomfort for had you listened the first time you would have heard that I myself do not trust General, but you see I have no plausible case against the man. So, if you will, please, trust your King for the time being and should anything go wrong, then and then only you may share your opinions, but as of now we have no case against General."

"Your majesty-" he tried again, but I heard enough.

"I do not wish to hear any more of this," I told him finally," My decision on the matter has been made."

Angrily, he threw himself back down.

* * *

Another month came and went with happenings around the castle still going rather slow, summer was now upon us. Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary happened in that month. We continued checking up on the troops that had soon decided to make a movement into the North to see just what the giants were up to. Caspian ensured us that General's point was proven when they spotted Jacob moving farther North.

Despite the fact Caspian said it was safe, I was still wary. Even though I had shut down the councilman who argued against General, I couldn't help but wonder if he would have been accurate. And my suspicions were held to be accurate when Caspian failed to write to us that month.

"What do you think the hold up is?" Thomas asked me one evening as we walked through the corridors of the castle.

"I don't know," I replied simply, wishing I knew the answer to that myself," It could be anything and I'm hoping it's not the negative."

"You think that our King and his army have run into trouble?" the dark headed man questioned me as we turned a corner.

I said with a sigh," It's not like Caspian to not keep his word and when he left he promised he would write as soon as he could. I can't help but think that _something _could be wrong."

"I agree with you," he told me before continuing," However, this could also be a good thing…they could be onto something and…perhaps he just has not had the time to write a letter."

Slowly, I turned my head to look at Thomas," I can only hope."

"You've done a great job thus far," he told me with a nod," Both you and Caspian are so young and the leadership you both possess is...phenomenal. You've both basically been asked to grow up so quickly and-"

Then suddenly, I heard footsteps running toward me. A very frantic looking Penelope was sprinting down the hallway," Rosalie! Rosalie!"

"I will speak with you later, Thomas," I said to the council man, who bowed to me slightly before turning away," Thank you for your compliments."

I gave my full attention to my sister frantically toward me. She was running so quickly that I was hardly able to grab her fast enough to where she could come to a complete stop. Grabbing her by her forearms, I demanded," What's wrong, Penelope?"

She breathed in and out very quickly before answering," Y-you must come quickly."

"Penelope?" I asked, very concerned, but before I could utter another word, she was pulling me quickly in the opposite direction. As much as I pried and tried to figure out just what was going on; she would not answer me, but was only set on getting me to wherever we were going.

I soon found that he was guiding me to the shooting range out back, where she always still practiced her bow and arrow. Already, I could see a group congregated around something or someone, rather.

"Penelope, please tell me-" I started, but she cut me off as we stopped running at the edge of the group of people.

"See for yourself," she told me, trying to catch her breath from all of her sprinting.

I nodded and pushed my way through the small crowd gathered. There lying on the ground, just as I broke through the crowd was no other than Beck. The loyal servant, Beck. My heart almost stopped as I saw what was pierced through the middle of his chest. An arrow.

"Beck," I said his name softly as I collapsed on the ground beside him, while the servant girls tried pulling out the arrow.

"No!" I stopped them," It may be the only thing keeping the blood in right now."

The poor servant boy appeared to be panting very heavily as I tried to figure out exactly what had happened to him. I grabbed his hand and sat by his head.

"Rosalie," he wheezed, turning his face toward me," I-I"

"Who did this?" I demanded, adamant on knowing who would have a problem with innocent Beck.

He breathed in sharply once more, life was slowly being sucked out of him, even as we sat there," I-I'm sorry, I should have been more care-"

"No, Beck," I said, tears coming to my eyes," This is most definitely not your fault."

"T-They," he tried to tell me, but his own life was slowly slipping through his fingers.

"Beck! Please," I begged him, grabbing his hand in my own, he was not going to die….he couldn't…I wouldn't allow it. He had been through too much as a child to ever deserve this.

I stood up and looked around at the servants that were seemingly standing about," What are you doing?" I exclaimed, unable to bear with what was happening," Get him inside!"

Tears were falling uncontrollably from my eyes as they scurried around and picked up the servant, who was normally so chipper and so full of life. The poor servant boy was hardly breathing any more as they raised him from the ground, but before they could take him in, I noticed something.

The arrow.

I scrutinized the arrow closely and recognized the feathers on the end of it. The same feathers that the sick, evil person wielding the bow pulled back on before sending it through poor Beck's chest. The feathers were a deep blue, a rather unusual color.

"Beck! Beck! Please, stay with me, don't close your eyes," Emily, whom I had never seen so desperate before was grabbing the limp boy's hand, begging him for some sort of sign of life from him. This was her work partner and though I didn't know the details of their relationship…I could safely assume it was close despite her aggravation with him at times.

While watching the heart wrenching scene, I continued to think of where I had seen the arrow before.

Then, it hit me.

At the wedding. Just before Jacob had charged into the reception, the same arrow was wedged into the head of the Telmarine soldier who was frantically running to warn us.

Anger boiled in me once more as the group of servants carried away Beck into the confines of the castle. Thomas and Marcus came running toward me as I stood still, glaring out to the woods.

"Your majesty?" they questioned, and I am sure they asked several times before I actually was able to hear them.

"Lock up everything tonight," I said adamantly, trying not to explode in what I thought to be an equal mix of anger and fear.

"Your majesty, what is-"

"That arrow!" I cried, pointing up at the injured servant boy," That arrow is the same one that was sent flying from one of Jacob's cronies at the wedding! I will _not_ allow them to do any more damage here. Lock up _everything_ and I mean _everything_."

I did not know _where_, but somewhere out there-Jacob was lurking near the castle. I did not understand _how,_ but all that mattered was that he _was_.

**Author's Note: Okay, so this is the part that I had to speed things up a little bit. I was going to originally put more description into Rosalie's transition to Queen, but I wanted to focus more on Jacob's army he's got going on. From here, everything starts to make a little more sense and we are going to understand some unanswered questions that Jacob's presence has posed. Drop a review :) Love you guys! Hope you are still enjoying!  
**


	14. The Invasion Begins

**Author's Note: Everything other than Rosalie and her family, some of her friends, belong to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Fourteen: The Invasion Begins

The rest of the afternoon was a frenzy as what little Telmarine soldiers were running through the castle corridors, boarding up all entrances to the castle. Quickly, the bridge was the first to be closed up, but before it was closed, men went around door to door to make sure that no one was out in the streets that night. As soon as the troop was out to patrol the city streets for the night, the draw bride was closed.

"I think you're overreacting a little," Marcus told me later that evening as I sat at Caspian's study staring intensely out the window," I think we need to wait it out a little while."

"They _shot_ our servant," I told him, wondering what more he needed," Do we need any more proof? If we wait it out, they could have taken the castle within the week."

"We don't know for sure that it is Jacob, it could very well be any-"

Before the council man could finish his sentence, a nasty cry pierced both of our ears. It wasn't a typical groan or yell that any man could utter, but it was much more sinister. I shot up from my desk and ran to the window, looking out to the distance. Standing at the window, my jaw almost dropped.

There, in the distance, stood not one, but five giants towering over the forest. They were, by nature, violent creatures, but had not been this way with any of the rulers of Narnia for quite some time. I was not able to see them very closely, but from a distance, I could estimate that they were anywhere between ten (being the shortest) and thirty(being the tallest) feet.

"There's your proof," I stuttered to Marcus as we stood in awe at the window.

"So soon?" he asked, hardly able to think of any other words to say," Where is Caspian? Where is General?"

I stared hard at the beasts out in the far distance," They're heading in the wrong direction," I shot my head over at Marcus," They're heading to the North!"

"How-"

"I don't know how and I honestly don't understand why, but somehow, we have been outsmarted, Marcus," I said, very quickly turning on my heel to exit the study, Marcus on my coattails.

"Rosalie, if there is trouble abroad, you must go into hiding," he insisted, but I was determined to make it to the armory.

Hearing this, I stopped abruptly," And why would I do such a thing?"

"We can't risk our Queen being-"

"If I go into hiding, then who's to rule the nation. It would basically be up for grabs to anyone and I am not willing to have that happen. You know what Caspian's orders were for us, Marcus and I do no intend to deviate from those," I spat out, more quickly then I could manage to process all of it. Soon, I was turning on my heels back in a hurry.

"I think," the council man stated once more, grabbing my forearm," You're being rash."

"Marcus!" I exclaimed, after being forced to stop," You can't honestly expect me to go into hiding while my lousy brother comes and invades the castle, do you?"

"With all due respect, your majesty, what exactly do you intend to do to stop him?" the man challenged me, raising his brow.

I shook my arm loose from his grasp before saying," I would place my life on the line for this nation if it meant keeping another Sopespian from taking the throne. I may be young and I may be a little rash, but I know that should my brother take this throne; Narnia may never be the same."

"Where's the leader in charge?" I cried as I stormed into the armory that lie in the lowest level of the castle.

Sitting at an old wooden desk, feet propped high sat a Telmarine man who looked as interested in my presence as I was interested in fashion. Chewing, something, he looked at me and soon shot up, trying to make himself more presentable. He spat-whatever that was- out of his mouth.

Disgusted, I asked," Do I want to know what that was?"

Ignoring my question entirely, he stood up and bowed slightly," Your majesty, how is it that I can be of any service to you?"

For a soldier, he was not the most well-kept man I had seen. In fact, his hair was greasy and slightly askew, there appeared to be all sorts of grime on his face, and as he stuck his hand out to shake my own, I moved mine away for fear of whatever disease may lie in those pores. His appearance matched the office he sat in; it really had gone downhill since I had last been down there.

"You've been put in charge by General, correct?" I questioned.

"Over what little militia we've got here, yes, that would be accurate," he replied with a smile.

"Wonderful," I answered with a small grin," You have heard of the scare with the threat to the town, correct?"

"The town is under complete lockdown, my lady," he answered, taking a seat in his chair once more.

"Great, because we've a troop of giants and presumably quite a lot of scavenges coming in to view. Presumably, they are here to raid the castle," I said, trying to make it sound as non-threatening as possible," I need ideas and perhaps you can help me as to what in the great name of Aslan we are suppose to do."

The man only stared at me, jaw dropped and eyes wide. I did not know if he was ever going to respond to me, but soon after a moment or two of silence he said," You mean to tell me that scurvy dog that broke in here during the wedding has the nerve to do it again?"

I nodded slowly," Only this time, he means to take my throne. Tell me what you can do and how quickly you can do it."

Nodding his head, he pulled out some records from a side drawer," We haven't much, but I've just enough decent archers lined up to be able to hold them off until we could call in reinforcements from, say, Archenland."

It may not have been much, but it was a start to something.

"Archers along the towers? Sounds great, but what of the giants, could they not just break through the walls?" I asked, knowing that I sounded as though I was thinking negatively.

The man swallowed before answering," Let's hope they don't do that."

I nodded," I assume you've a small troop that will protect should they breach the walls."

"Of course, your honor," he told me," You shouldn't have much more to worry of."

I chuckled as I took a step away," Oh trust me, I have much to worry about."

And with that I turned on my heel and exited the room. I made my way through the castle back to the medical ward where I saw nearly half of the servants crowded around a single room. I pushed my way through the crowd ad quickly opened the door handle, looking for any sign of the chipper boy.

Initially, I found it odd that no one was gathered around one single cot. I looked around and noticed that there was no one around immediately, but someone could have been lingering around in the back. Before I could go to look for others, I did notice one cot in particular. Near the window, one cot stood. There was obviously a body underneath, but a cloth covered the top.

I was scared to see what was under the cloth as my heart had practically stopped beating. A stray tear fell down my cheek and it didn't take a full lift for me to see the cold body of Beck underneath the cover. Quickly, I looked away and started to walk away, but before I could; I ran into someone.

Doctor Cornelius.

He basically had caught me as I was weak from seeing the dead body. Not able to keep it in, I let out a cry and felt him embrace me tightly.

"Rosalie, dear Rosalie, shhh," he soothed into my ear.

Right there, it felt as though all of it. All of the pressure and everything had just exploded and was spilling all throughout the room," Doctor, it's too much. I can't handle this, he didn't do-"

"I know, he was innocent, Rosalie," he whispered, running his hands up and down on my back as I sobbed into his shoulder.

"Then-Then why?" I balled, pulling my face out of his shoulder," W-Why not someone of more importance? Why not _me_?"

"Rosalie," he tried to calm me, placing his hands on either side of my face," I will never be able to fully comprehend what your brother's intentions are, but all I can is agree with you that this is murder of an innocent civilian. All you can do now is be strong, do you hear me?"

I nodded, sniffling," I don't want Jacob to come. I don't know if I can handle-"

"You _can_ handle this, don't you say that you can't," he told me sternly," Stop this, Rosalie, you must go and prepare for-"

He was interrupted by a booming noise coming from the front of the castle. Together, we ran to the window and peered out to the landscape that was growing dark. Knocking at the risen draw bridge was a small cluster of fellows, wielding torches. My eyes widened as I watched them toss large boulders at the drawbridge.

I watched as Telmarine soldiers came running from other portions of the town, away from their normal patrol. Right there, in front of my eyes, I watched as the fight began. It did not take long for this small group of men to be defeated by the Telmarines. Both the doctor and I watched in silence.

"This soon?" I whispered hoarsely, placing my hand firmly against the window.

"It appears as though the time has come," Doctor Cornelius said with a sigh," I have to admit that Jacob has been very smart about this."

" I would have to agree," I told him with a nod," But I wish we had more time to-"

The door to the infirmary was thrown open as we stood at the window. Marcus came into the room, a very frantic look on his face. I looked him up and down, but before I could say a word he exclaimed," You must leave now. We all have to get to a safe place, immediately."

I looked out the window and noticed that more men were flooding out of the woods all around, faster than we could have ever been prepared to fight. Sure, it may not have lasted for long, but I could not leave. I wanted to face my brother. He would not be able to just walk in and take the crown. I would not allow it.

"No," I told him adamantly, watching as Jacob's men started breaking into innocent civilian homes.

"Your majesty?" he asked me incredulously," You realize that they're attacking Telmar and that since we are without protection-"

"Yes! I realize that okay, but I can't leave now. I can't let my brother just waltz in here and take the crown," I argued with him, gasping as they broke in the door to the innocent people's home. The moon had already risen in the sky and I still could not believe how quickly all of this was happening.

I stood in the infirmary window watching intently as men stormed into the city quicker than I could even count. Torches burning, swords wielded, I even think there were archers toward the forest line. Our men that had been patrolling the city held up longer than I anticipated, but it wouldn't be long until their forces would prove to be too much. We were without an army and they were with their entire army. Something, or someone rather, must have sold some false information.

**A/N: Alright, there we have it! This one is a little shorter, but a lot still happened. Glad to hear you guys are all still liking the story, makes me happy! Reviews make me happy too! :)**


	15. Unanswered Questions

_**Author's Note: I don't really own much other than Rosalie and her friends, family..etc. Rest of it=C.S. Lewis.**_

Chapter Fifteen: Unanswered Questions

"You're being naïve, Rosalie!" he exclaimed to me, trying to grab my arm to pull me away.

"I can't leave!" I yelled at him, pulling my arm out of his grasp," Caspian told us to-"

"Caspian didn't know how severe and unexpected this was going to be," he told me, grabbing my arm again," Let's go. We can come back when-"

Another pounding could be heard at the drawbridge.

"No," I said firmly," I won't."

"Rosalie-" he argued again, but I wrung my arm loose once more.

Doctor Cornelius stood there, watching the whole time as I fought with my adviser over what I was to do.

"We're all leaving, now you come along too," Marcus urged me once more before Cornelius stepped in.

"Marcus, I believe that you must respect your Queen's wishes," Cornelius told the man sternly.

Marcus shot Cornelius an aggravated look," Please, tell me you're not going to let her stay here."

"She has an oath to her country," he told Marcus," Just like you and every other fellow that's leaving has."

"It's not safe," he spat at the man.

"You have orders from your King to stay no matter what," Cornelius argued once more as another boulder came crashing against the drawbridge.

Marcus stepped away and shook his head at us, obviously disappointed," You know what, if you want to stay here, fine. That will be your choice, but when they breach the walls…you will be done. All it takes is a couple more-"

"I'll take my chances," I told him with a nod and it didn't take long for him to storm off.

Soon after he had left, I looked at Cornelius once more and shook my head," What have I done?"

Had my own council really left me?

"You've taken a stand for your country," he told me proudly," Something Caspian would hope you would do."

"I don't know what I'm getting into," I said with a sigh.

"You'll be just fine," the elderly gentleman assured me with a smile.

For some reason, I could find no comfort in the matter.

* * *

It took three days.

Three. Days.

The most torturous days of my life, sitting in a castle whose walls were crumbling by the hour. Surprisingly enough, the few men that we did have hanging around the castle were able to weaken the waves of men storming into the town. We even had help coming from almost every region that was surrounding us, but they claimed that it would be several days before they would be able to aid us much. All of this was very comforting if the small little detail that Jacob's army was unrealistically big was left out of the picture.

All of my board abandoned me along with Trina. She stayed until the giants came. When they came tromping through the streets, she was done. She told me to come, in fact, she begged me to come with her, but I did not. I could not. And I explained that to her, I didn't have much of a choice at all. I had a duty to my country.

Watching the giants enter Telmar was one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. It was as if they were not even caring of the innocent people inside of the homes that they would just carelessly step through, destroying the structure as they plowed through. Though there were only five of them, they did more damage than an entire army of men could have done. Not only were they destructive, but they were quite possibly the most ugly creatures I had ever seen. Most of their hair was gone, with few strands standing up here or there. Not only this, but their skin was tinted a nasty green color with all sorts of hair speckled here and there over their, barely clad bodies.

It wasn't until that third day that I finally saw my older sibling, riding into Telmar on his high horse. There was another fellow beside him, but I was unable to identify him for he was covering his face with a cloak. It was late in the second day that they finally broke down the draw bridge, with the help of their giant friends, of course, whom I soon discovered were _not _friendly whatsoever.

"Your majesty, we can only hold them off for so much longer!" the leader of the small militia came running into the throne room, a look of utter fear painted on his face.

I sat on the throne, unable to do much more of anything. I had run around frantically over the last two days, even shooting an arrow or two along the way. Every effort that I had put out was shut down by this ridiculous force that had seemingly come out of no where. Still, I nodded at the man, realizing that the moment had come.

"Lock the doors! Put everything you can against that door and do not, and when I say not, I mean it, let anything come through that door. Is everyone clear on this?" I immediately cried out and all of the soldiers and servants nodded before throwing themselves up and pushing nearly anything and everything that could be found in the throne room against the door.

"Rosalie!" Penelope came running up to me from the opposite side of the room," What are we to do if they should breach the walls?"

Walking over to one of the statues in the room, I looked over at my sister," You've your bow with you?"

She nodded, pulling it from the sling on her back," As always."

I smiled as I started to push the statue to the other side of the room," Anything that comes through that door, you are to shoot."

"Right," she said with a gulp, walking alongside me as I pushed the, surprisingly heavy statue," Even if that's our brother?"

I turned and tried to push the structure with my back, but found that unsuccessful. I tried adjusting again before saying," Even if that's Jacob. We can hardly," I paused, trying to push again," Consider him our brother any more."

"You make a very good point," she told me with a nod, slinging her bow back over her back as she moved over to help me in moving the statue.

"You know," I said jokingly as we were able to easily push the statue with her assistance," You could have offered early."

She smiled as the statue came to a halt with a thud in front of the grand doors," What's the fun in that?"

I laughed briefly before scurrying back up the throne where my own set of bow and arrow sat. With all of the items stacked against the door, I felt more protected than I had before. Just as I stood there, situating my bow and arrow, I felt my heart beating out of my chest.

Silence.

Everyone in the room was immediately quiet as we listened to the intruders. They had yet to break through the grand doors to the castle, but I would have rather been safe than sorry. I wish that I could go back into more graphic detail of just how my brother went about attacking our city, but the pain is still too great.

Each one of those evenings, I would sit in Caspian's study staring out the window. Crying out for someone, anyone to come and help us. I remembered a saying that Aslan had told me about trusting my heart, but as I sat curled up in a ball in Caspian's study every night, watching the castle crumble under the mighty fist of the giants and watching as innocent civilians were killed on the streets, I felt as though I was alone.

Where was Aslan anyways? Why was he not protecting us? He loved us, that was for sure, but why had he forsaken us?

All of it had come about so quickly. If my brother could manage an attack this quickly, then Aslan could save us ten times as quickly. And on top of this, where was my husband? Where was Caspian?

I was unable to think for much longer.

To break the silence, there was a roll of thunder in the distance outside. A storm had blown in earlier that day and overall it had been just a stormy day in Telmar.

I pulled my arrow up to eye level, glancing over to see my sister and several other soldiers in the room doing the same. I felt as though my heart could be heard by all in the room as we stood there, ready to face whatever should come through those doors.

A loud crash could be heard against the door as I watched the hinges bend with the impact. They would not last long.

Several moments of listening to the doors break lead to the moment where they burst in, sending wood and all other materials flying everywhere. Nasty men came scurrying into the room, but were quickly brought down by the layer of archers we had set up in the throne room. If my brother thought he would be able to just walk in, he was wrong.

To my surprise, we were able to fend for ourselves for quite some time. Men would pour into the room at an astonishing rate, taking some of our soldiers still hanging about, but for the most part, we were able to defend the crown.

During one of the breaks in the flow, I looked over at my sister.

"Are you still alright?" I asked her, looking around at the bloodied throne room. There was no doubt that she was well old enough to handle a little blood, but I knew that shooting arrow after arrow could become tedious.

"Of course," she said with a nod," Could you cover for me for a moment? I need to grab another quiver of arrows."

"Sure, you've got some in here?" I asked her, keeping my bow up as she started her descent, she dropped her bow just before she reached the closet.

"I brought some along, just in case," she said as she opened one of the closet doors.

It didn't take long after the sound of her opening the doors for a blood-curdling scream to be released from her lips. Swiftly, I jumped over the dead bodies strewn over the floor and ran to check on her. To my horror, there stood one of Jacob's men holding my sister to his chest, a dagger at her throat.

"Let her down, buddy," I growled at him, holding my bow high.

He must have been able to sneak in through one of the many hideaways in the castle.

Then suddenly I heard a bow string being stretched back behind me," I don't think you want to be doing that."

Confused, I turned slowly, putting down the bow to see no other than my brother standing with Penelope's bow aimed directly for me.

The cause may have been lost from the beginning, but now as I stared at the arrow; I knew it was over.

Jacob was on the way to getting exactly what he wanted. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

* * *

"It really is good to see you again, Rosalie," Jacob told me with a smirk as he paced around me as I sat in the throne, closely watched by several of his men.

I eyed him warily as he paced," I can't say the same."

He faked a look of pain on his face," You know how bad that hurts."

"I'm sure you will get over it," I said with a shrug," I'm not losing any sleep over it."

A chuckle escaped his mouth as he paused his pacing, hands still laced behind his back," You know for a defenseless castle, you all put up quite the fight."

I narrowed my eyes," Yes, in fact, Jacob would you mind elaborating on just how you managed to get here in the first place?"

"Ah, yes," Jacob replied, sounding as though he was glad I had asked," My plan. My plot. Just how I outsmarted your little other half to get myself here."

He paused for a moment to look around at his cronies, who had been quick to kill the rest of the Telmarines that stood on guard in the room," Should I tell her?" he asked, in the same manner he had the night of the wedding.

"Yea! Yea! Boss, do it!" the chorus cheered.

"Alright, alright, if you insist," he said, putting up a hand to silence them.

He started his little pacing scheme once more, which made me a little more nervous. I stared at him hard for quite the time until he finally began speaking.

"Let me start with the wedding," he said finally," It wasn't particularly easy to plan a sneak in to this place, let me tell you, but it's basically been all that I've been doing this last year. Anyways, we figured that we wouldn't be able to just waltz right into the ceremony so I tried to think of a place that wouldn't be heavily guarded-say a place on the opposite end of the castle where we would be able to smuggle some men into."

I followed him closely.

"I chose the stables and surprisingly enough, there was only a single fellow on guard there, who was actually in slumber when we passed, which made our job easier enough-"

"Wait, how in the world did you get passed the first guards? The ones that patrol the city?" I interrupted.

"Oh, those were rather easy," he said to me with a shrug," It was only a matter of dispersing ourselves evenly throughout the woods so much as to the point where no one would realize exactly what we were doing. In fact, I would argue that they probably mistook us for a group of innocent Telmarines."

I glared at him," Jacob, you don't realize how dangerous this is."

"Dangerous?" he asked with a raise of his brow," For you or for me? Because the way I view it, it can only benefit me, but you…yes this could be considered life-changing for you, dear sister."

Angered, I stood up," You _can't_ do this. Caspian-"

Jacob laughed," Caspian? You're bringing him into this?"

"He won't allow it!"

The slime on either side of me roughly grabbed my shoulders, pushing me back down.

"It appears as though he's already allowing it," Jacob challenged, looking at me smugly," I don't think your husband is going to have much of a say in this."

Scared of knowing what he meant by this, I felt my lip quiver slightly," Where is he?"

Jacob turned his head away from me briefly," You ask too many questions! I feel it be a waste to answer them all now for you will learn of them soon."

For a brief moment, I did not know whether or not he was going to answer me. In fact, he didn't answer me. He walked around the throne room until he found Penelope standing against one of the pillars. She looked very uninterested in anything that he had to say, while I found myself sitting dumbstruck on the throne.

"How've you been?" he asked, standing in front of his younger sister.

She gave him one of the nastiest glares I have ever seen a human being give a person," Splendid."

"You're a little more pleasant than my other sibling," he said with a shrug, I almost laughed aloud at this," I've got a proposition for you, however."

Still uninterested, she tried to raise her brow at him to show some interest," And what might that be Jacob?"

"You see," he started," There isn't much more hope for our sister over there. I think there might be some hope still left for you and I to make Narnia the Narnia our father envisioned it as."

I almost broke out of the throne right there, but forced myself to stay calm. The more weakness I showed, the more Jacob got pleasure out of this whole ordeal. Still with every word he said, I couldn't help but think of him as a little boy again. I couldn't help but think of him playing with Caspian and I. I had to force myself to shove these images out of my head for it did not change anything. It didn't change the fact that my father's image for Narnia was corrupted.

Even though I wanted Penelope to shut his idea down immediately, if she was smart; she would play along for a little bit.

And she did.

"Oh really?" she raised her brow," Why don't you explain?"

He beamed at her," I'd love to explain. Now, you see, whenever I take the throne from our sister, I'll explain my whole plan in its entirety when we are not accompanied by her, but I would like for you to serve as my-oh, what's it called-princess? No, perhaps…adviser would be more accurate."

She crossed her arms," Why do you think I would be interested in this?"

He shrugged," It's better than the fate of your sister. We did it once, Penelope."

"And just what do you plan to do to me Jacob?" I burst out, unable to keep silent.

He shot me a look," More questions? Can't you see that I'm _not_ talking to you?"

Sick and tired of his attitude, I threw myself up from the throne and heatedly began storming toward him," I am your Queen! And I demand that you answer me!"

"Ooo, I'm so scared of my _little_ sister," he replied sarcastically waving his hands in the air.

Just before I could reach him, I felt myself being grabbed from behind. I tried pulling forward, but was soon stopped abruptly," I may be that, but I am your Queen as of now and nothing you can do will change that! You answer to me."

Jacob's face was not humorous as he came close to me, face to face he said," Why don't I have someone answer one of those questions? Perhaps, he can explain better than myself. Penelope and I will have a little walk and talk."

He offered his arm to Penelope, but she shoved it off," I'll listen, but I can't make you any promises."

"All I need is your ear," he said with a shrug as they started their descent.

Before they could leave, I yelled," Penelope, don't-"

"I think," Jacob looked back at me," You haven't much of a say for her. She's grown into a young lady with her own opinions."

I gritted my teeth as I watched Penelope stroll out of the room with Jacob at her side. There was nothing more I could do. Uneasiness settled in to my stomach as I stood there, tired of fighting these fellows off of me. Slowly, and very slowly at that, a man came closer to me, emerging from the shadows behind where the doors had just been burst in not so long ago. Just before he was face to face with me, I watched as his gloved hands moved to the material that covered his head as he pulled back the veil that hid his face.

Immediately, I recognized the face in front of me.

Traitor.

**Author's Note: Just who could it be? You will have to read on to find out…but in the meantime-drop a review!**


	16. More Than One Traitor

**Author Note: As you know, I basically only own Rosalie and her family.**

Chapter Sixteen: More Than One Traitor

Words could not even express the feeling that rumbled deep in my stomach as I looked into the face of the man that stood in front of me. With all of my force, I wanted to go at him right there, but the men surrounding me tightened their grip even further. The man came closer to me, a smirk on his face as he came face to face.

"He trusted you," I hissed at him, trying not to scream," He trusted you!"

The scar-faced man did not reply, but merely chuckled," He was an idiot to do so."

"Never once did I think you were trustworthy," I hissed once more at the man whom Caspian had thought to be the leader of his army," I always told him you were trouble, General. He's just too good of a person to see through you."

The men holding me literally lifted me from my feet and started to carry me backward. General walked along with them before he started speaking once more," I can't blame Caspian much, however. I do have to say that I played the part well."

"Well?" I asked him incredulously, with a chuckle," You were blatantly dark and mysterious the entire time!"

"And that's my point," he said, the tone of his voice just as dark as it always was," So dark that he would never suspect I would actually be working against him."

"Speaking of that, would you care to explain just how you pulled all of that off?" I asked him with a snarl.

"What fun is that Rosalie?" he asked with another one of his sick smirks," What's the fun in me telling you everything behind my little coup? I think it be much better if you find out on your own."

I narrowed my eyes at him, wishing nothing more than for him to drop dead right there. I was in no position to defend myself any more or attack him for if all of these men disappeared then I would be all over him. However, this was not the case.

"I demand-"

"You haven't any control over me," he laughed," You obviously haven't much control over anything if you're allowing your brother to come tromping all over you like this."

This was the moment when I realized that I had failed my people. My eyes shifted out to the window to see a demolished Telmar sitting in my view. Pieces of houses lay strewn about everywhere along with pieces of the castle. I looked to the front of the room and noticed the doors plowed in and nice pieces of artwork and such shattered to pieces. I swore an oath to protect my people. I promised to do everything within my ability to keep them safe and this-this was unacceptable. In three days, destruction had occurred.

But then again, how would I have been able to stop it?

From what I could assume, General was feeding Caspian false information while keeping in cahoots with my brother. In fact, I wouldn't doubt that he could have been leading Caspian into quite some trouble up in the North. For all I knew, Caspian was walking to his death just as we stood there. The stories of all the spirits out West could have all been fickle. In fact, if they were coming out of his mouth, then they probably were a big fat lie. I had to consider the fact that there were witnesses to the spirits though and that these spirits had killed people as well.

"Where is my husband?" I asked General finally after swallowing hard over all of this.

"He's in the opposite side of the nation. Along with what remains left of his army," General replied coldly, still pacing about the room.

"How am I to know your word is true?" I asked, stiffly watching him.

"You asked me a question and I am merely answering," the dark man replied with a shrug," Make what you will of it."

It may have been pointless for me to ask him any sort of question. If he had been able to tell lies so elaborate that Caspian would believe them, then he would be able to tell me almost anything.

Before I could ponder any longer, Jacob entered the room once more. I had been anticipating for Penelope to come back alongside him, angered and uninterested. To my surprise, she came back with a smile on her face.

"Looks like one of my sisters isn't a total idiot," Jacob said, a smile growing on his face as he came toward me.

I was in awe. Just what did she have up her sleeves? Surely, she hadn't actually believed a word that came out of his mouth. Surely, she was only playing along…right?

"Penelope?.." I started, but she was quick to interrupt.

"Shut up Rosalie!" she exclaimed, moving in sync with Jacob.

I noticed the smile on Jacob's face grow even wider as I stood, obviously flabbergasted by what my sister was doing.

She had fooled him once before, she could easily do it again. Right.

"You don't have to feel so bad now," Jacob said to General, who had crossed his arms over his chest, finding the whole situation humorous," You're not the only traitor."

My eyes widened. I shouldn't have been believing any of this, but the look on my sister's face. The way she was smiling along with them, looking at me with eyes that suggested I was the joke. Could this be true?

"Penelope, this isn't you-"

A roar of laughter went through the group of men. They all found this extremely hilarious for some reason, but I was failing to see the humor in the matter. I tried scrutinizing her face to see through this somehow. To see some sign that would indicate to me that this was all a joke…but I was not seeing it.

"Come on, Rosalie," she taunted, stepping closer to me," How do you think they were able to pull all of this off?"

How was I to answer this? I had my own suspicions of the details of Jacob's plan, but was she suggesting something. What was she trying to get out of me?

"Penelope-" I tried, but she only laughed.

"It was _me_," she hissed in a tone so unlike her," Everything. Getting into the wedding? All it took was for me to let them know when and where. Getting those two crooks in here to threaten you up a little bit? I let them in. No body suspected me. No body suspected the little sister who's been living in your shadows for her entire life."

She could have easily done all of these things without my even suspecting her.

"How long? How long have you been doing this?" I finally asked after several moments of silence.

"Ever since I broke you out of here," she snarled through her teeth," I've been playing it this entire time."

"You're telling me that all of this is lies? Everything you have told me since then, everything you've done, the men you've killed…all of it was in vain?" I asked her, my heart slowly breaking.

She looked at me. For one brief moment I saw that look of mercy in her eyes, but the words did not match the look in her eyes," It's because of you that both of my parents are dead. It's because of you that my life can never be normal. The only way that I can hope to have some sort of a normal life is by joining Jacob. I never betrayed him, Rosalie."

She really had been lying the entire time! I couldn't believe how stupid all of us were to actually believe that she wasn't doing something. All of those hours she spent "practicing" her archery, she could have been plotting with Jacob. I never kept a close watch on her, no one did really for we trusted her. All this time, I trusted my little sister.

I never should have.

"Take her out. We've some discussing to do and I don't want her here to hear anything," Jacob demanded as the men beside me pulled me to my feet.

I wanted her to hear me out however, I fought them hard.

"Your life will _never_ be normal. Teaming up with him will only make it worse, Penelope. Don't tell me you believe any of the trash that he's been telling you. You're smarter than-" I told her, trying to get all of my words out before they dragged me off.

Penelope's eyes were looking at me blankly, caring little of what I was saying. I didn't care much. Perhaps, they wouldn't hit her now, but they would. Sometime, she would have to feel guilty for not being faithful. Eventually.

"You're not my sister! Don't ever consider yourself of any relation to me ever again!" I screamed at her, my feet leaving the ground due to the men pulling me off my feet.

"Get her away!" Jacob cried over the madness and as hard as I fought, I felt something hard come crashing down against my skull.

* * *

_I was standing on the middle of a bloody battlefield. Rain was pouring from the sky, my skin and hair were dripping with rainwater. My muscles ached from being in the battle. Left and right I could see Jacob's men strewn about, some giants, some normal men. My own body was heavily beaten and bloodied. Blood dripped from the top of my brow into my eyes as I looked around the seemingly empty battlefield._

_I walked around, alone before stepping over some more of the bodies that lie dead. It appeared as though I was in a fog as I continued walking alone. Before long, my feet reached the edge of the battlefield. Below me was a hole the size of what appeared to be a giant's footstep._

_My breathing halted as I watched._

_Penelope stood, her weapon drawn looking right down at a badly beaten man who was trying to plead with her. Her dark hair wild as blood fell from her own brow._

"_Penelope, you're better than this," the man pleaded, his face and voice so familiar to me._

"_Don't tell me that, Caspian," she hissed back at him, staring at him hard," You're just like Rosalie, always trying to cover things up."_

_The dark headed, beaten king tried to sit up," Just give us a chance to talk this over. I don't think you understand the severity of what your brother intends on doing."_

"_I don't understand?" she asked him mockingly, pulling the arrow back further," Seems ironic since I was the one behind it all."_

_Then without another word, she sent the arrow flying through the air that wedged itself in the middle of his forehead. He fell, blood bursting from him, without anymore. _

_A scream escaped my lips, a pain more unbearable than death flooded through my veins._

"Caspian!" I awoke with a scream, I found myself lying in our bed in the royal suite.

Almost immediately, I felt a small hand laid on top of my own. I looked over, still trying to calm myself and found the ghastly whitened face of Emily gazing at my own.

"Rosalie, you're alright?" she whispered to me, grabbing a wet towel from the basin that lay beside her.

I inhaled deeply before lying my head back against the pillow as she lay the towel over my head. The dream was so realistic and it took me a moment to realize that it may have been a reality. My heart still did not want to believe that all of this was real, but my head was scolding me for not predicting it earlier.

As I turned my head, I noticed that it had to of been very late outside now. The moon was high in the sky, candles were aglow around the room.

"Rosalie?" she asked again, and I shook my head, turning my attention to her.

"Oh, yeah," I said, looking at her with a nod," I'm fine for the time being."

Before she could say anything else, I pushed my feet off the side of the bed and started to walk to the balcony. She was close behind me, bringing along a candle with her. When I arrived at the balcony, I couldn't help but feel a tear fall down my face. It was all wrong. The landscape may have been peaceful, but Jacob's men could be heard chasing women through the streets, ganging up on men, taunting the children. I couldn't stand to watch it, but I had no power to stop it either.

"They've been terrorizing the people all day," Emily whispered to me, standing beside me.

I shook my head," Its wrong, Emily."

"I know," she said just as quietly as before," But there is nothing we can do. Is this correct?"

I sighed and dropped my head," I wish there was, but as of now there is nothing."

A pause hung in the air for a few moments before she spoke once more.

"I heard of Penelope," she said to me, watching as two of Jacob's men pulled a screaming woman into a dark alley.

My eyes met Emily's," And of General?"

She nodded," Word traveled fast through the servants."

A small, humorless chuckle escape my mouth as I turned my gaze back out to the landscape," I haven't a clue what I am to do now."

Another silence hung in the air before she said," Well, you've been blessed by the fact that Jacob is still allowing the servants to run the castle. I would be more than happy to aid you in any way possible."

Turning my back to the scene, I turned back and ran my fingers through my hair," Thank you, Emily, but I honestly don't know how I'm going to get us out of this one."

"You will think of something," she assured me," I'm sure."

Without another word, she disappeared into the castle again and left me standing on the balcony alone. Refusing to look at my city in ruins, I thought to myself.

_Trust your heart._

Aslan.

If Aslan loved us so much, then why was this happening?

**A/N: Okay, so last week=busiest week of my life. Soooo sorry! Here you have it though. I think some of you may not be too happy…I know you like Penelope, but hang with me ****:) Oh and drop a review!**


	17. Lustful Liar

**Author Note: I own basically nothing other than Rosalie and some of her family members, friends, etc…**

Chapter Seventeen: Lustful Liar

Numb.

The feeling inside my body and outside. All over, I felt as though my feelings had been severed off. Day after weary day, I would be forced awake early to be dressed up nicely (I still don't understand the reasoning behind it) and sit in the meetings that my brother, sister, and General would conduct over the country. After several attempts of trying to attack my "family members", they eventually agreed to keep me contained in my room and summon me when they needed me. Or rather, when they wanted to tell me to do something else.

The once beautiful city of Telmar was quickly turned into a desolate place with giants tromping around where I would not have wanted anyone to have stumbled upon. It seemed as though more and more men would come into the city every day, claiming to be apart of Jacob's entourage. Despite this, I was amazed by the fact that no matter how hard Jacob tried to convince the people to join his army, they still stayed true to Caspian.

However, the more the people refused Jacob, the more angry he became. He even offered them bribes that I, had I been in their shoes, would have a hard time turning away, but the people, for some odd reason, stayed true. I would have thought for sure that they would have turned immediately. Another oddity was that the help we had called for from the other nations, had never come.

We were alone.

Helpless.

Then, the day came that Jacob developed a new plan.

"Ahhh, Rosalie!" he said gregariously as I was escorted into the throne room, which over the period of three weeks had been re-modeled.

I glared at him, not able to say anything due to the gag they had in my mouth. Several large, burly, _smelly_ men pushed me forward and unwound the gag from my mouth.

"Jacob," I said, trying to sound somewhat cordial as they unbound my hands and removed the gag from my mouth.

"Come, along," Jacob waved me toward him, and I hesitantly took a few steps closer to him. Caspian's throne stood directly in front of us and it appeared that he wanted me to take a seat in my husband's throne," Take a seat."

Looking at him, semi-confused, I placed myself on the throne," What do you want with me?"

"I've a new proposition," Jacob said with a smile on his face as he began pacing around my throne.

"And what might that be?" I asked, sounding very uninterested.

There was a pause while Jacob continued pacing around the room, looking around the overly-grandeur room. He had imported plenty of new, gold intricate objects into the room which made it look much too over the top. The only thing they kept that I actually liked were the stained-glassed windows, which were basically the same as before.

"You know that I could just take the crown from you, correct?" he asked me, raising one of his dark brows at me.

My eyes narrowed," Sure?…" I uttered slowly, wanting him to continue.

"Right, of course you do!" he exclaimed before saying," But I can't do that."

"Haven't you already done that?" I questioned, watching him closely.

"Technically," he agreed," I have, but you see the people haven't really accepted me as their leader yet. If we want to be legal, you are still the Queen of this nation considering that I have not yet 'officially' been coroneted, but rather than go through the sillyness of that; I'm willing to let you keep the title of Queen."

He definitely had some explaining to do.

Wasn't the whole point of this operation to take the throne from Caspian and I? Then again, he had never really explained to me what the whole point of this operation was.

"How so?" I asked, narrowing my eyes once more.

"You're going to do everything that I tell you to do. Basically, you are going to be my little puppet. I know I have already been controlling most of your activities, but now there are going to be some changes taking place in Narnia that I'm going to like greatly. You may not, but you haven't much of a choice."

"And what's the point of this? Why not just kill me?" I suggested," Or just be the dictator you obviously desire to be?"

Jacob chuckled," You see, Penelope suggested the same thing, however the problem of popularity came into play. Those stupid civilians will basically do anything you tell them to do because they love you so incredibly much. If I get up there and tell them to start doing all of this stuff, they won't listen to me, but if you assure them that no further harm will come to them if they just do what you say, which technically is what _I_ say, then we're all happy."

"Except for me."

"Right, except for you, but I've more plans for you," Jacob said, trying to make his voice sound chipper once more.

"Oh great," I replied, not even trying to cover the sarcasm.

If he thought that he could just start telling me how to run the nation, then I would never do it. I would rather him kill me.

"You're going to have a new King," he told me, with an evil smirk.

I looked at him incredulously.

"I will not marry you. No. Never. I'm married anyways, but beside that I will kill myself before-"

"Shut up, Rosalie!" he exclaimed, cutting me off before I could go off on an incest tangent," I wouldn't ever want to marry you anyways. General over here has offered to step up to be king."

I don't even know if shock would have been an appropriate word for me to say as I watched General emerge, as always, from the corner of the room. What was the meaning behind all of this?

"Why? Why are you doing this?" I asked him, shaking my head, pleading for any other way for him to do this.

"Because by having me as King, it puts your brother at less risk of being injured through all of this. Should anyone take the blame for this, it would be mostly you," General added, stepping up beside my brother, arms crossed," All of this is in order to prevent a revolution."

This made perfect sense. Should they kill me, then the people would riot. Jacob's army may have been strong, but if the whole country went into riot, then he would definitely have more problems than what he already had planning whatever it was that he had in store for Narnia. He needed to have an easy transition and by keeping me alive, he was well on his way to doing this. However, the thought passed through my head that the people would not be accepting of this, no matter how many times I assured them. They weren't stupid.

"How will the public take another marriage? They all know of my wedding, in fact, I'm sure the women down on the corner are still speaking of it as though it happened yesterday. They will not accept another one, Jacob," I argued, trying still to keep myself calm as I could.

Both of the men shot a look at one another," This is where you will start to do _exactly_ as I tell you," Jacob explained.

General soon started speaking," You are to tell the people that Caspian has died in battle. You are also to explain that you've found a new King that is equally worthy and that I am the only one whom your beloved would want to take his place."

"That's a blatant lie and I will never-"

Swiftly, Jacob drew his sword and held it right at my throat," Just because I need you for now doesn't mean that you have a say in how this is run. I would rather put up with a riot than a mouthy sister."

I stared at the blade and swallowed hard, shutting my mouth before I got myself into deeper trouble.

"Now," Jacob stepped closer, placing the blade onto my skin," What are you going to do? Just so we are on the right page."

I breathed in deep before doing just as he said," I am to address the public over the death of my husband and announce that they are not to fear you or anyone else for that matter due to the fact that I've found a better king, General and I will not be a widow for long."

A smile grew on my brother's dark face," Good."

The whole time, despite the fact that I was wandering about how this plan would work, despite the fact that my marriage was in jeopardy, and despite the fact that my brother had a sword to my neck, I couldn't help but wonder where Penelope was and what she was up to.

* * *

Later that evening, I splashed water on my face in the powder room in the royal suite, trying not to think about the fact that I would soon have to tell the people of my new found engagement, which I was still wary of its believability, the death of the King, and the new found "trust" I would ask them to put into this new King and his advisor.

I was sure that word was already spreading around the town over what was going to happen. Someone had to address them eventually and I guess it only made sense that person was me. Still, the whole ordeal was a little disturbing. I didn't like to think of the thought of any other man than Caspian claiming me as his wife; I didn't like pretending about anything. At the moment, though, I didn't really have much of a choice…

Finding it odd that Emily had not come in to check on me, I slowly stepped away from the vanity and waited for several moments. After deciding that she was not coming, I decided to try and get some rest. I wandered through the suite, trying not to look at any of the items belonging to Caspian. It was hard enough sleeping in a bed that still smelled of him, never the less trying to look at his belongings.

Something was out of place. I noticed the door to Caspian's study propped open. I had not entered Caspian's study for quite some time now. Curious, I slowly moved to the door and pressed it open even further.

"I was wondering when you were going to drop by," a dark voice said to me, scaring me horribly.

General sat in my husband's desk, feet propped high as a vulgar smile crept upon his face.

I looked down and noticed that I was hardly clad at all. My night gown for summer was not much material, or at least it seemed that way as I watched his eyes wander. Embarrassed, I felt the heat spilling to my cheeks. What was he up to?

"Come now, don't be shy, dear," he tried welcoming me, waving me closer.

I could have turned around right there and ran away, but this was my only way of learning more of what happened. It could have been a great opportunity to learn more or a stupid decision.

"What are you doing in my quarters?" I demanded, folding my arms over my chest as I came closer.

"Your quarters?" he questioned, his voice still dark as always," I believe it's going to be _ours_ soon."

A chill was sent through my body.

"You know that I will never truly be your wife, correct?" I questioned him, sitting myself down in the chair.

"Right," he said with a roll of his eyes," I think I've got something that might change that."

"Nothing you can do will make me in any way love you," I snarled at him, hardly caring what he thought of that," Caspian is my husband, dead or alive I will stay true to him."

He adjusted himself in his chair and slowly brought his feet off of the desk," I'm glad you mentioned that actually."

Mentioned what? I scrutinized his face hard before I started to get up. He was obviously just taking his sweet ol' time to tell me all of this and I had more important things to get to, like sleep.

"You know," I said as I stood up," I don't have to listen to-"

Before I could finish, I watched as he dug around in the pocket of his brown trousers. The object he held in his hand stopped me in my tracks, my eyes wide.

It was the ring. Caspian's wedding band lay in the palm of General's dirty, dirt-covered hand.

Standing in awe, I watched the smile grow on his face," This changes the tone doesn't it?"

Without even thinking, I stormed over to the desk and grabbed the ring from his palm. A chuckle came from the man's lips as I scrutinized the silver ring that now lay in my hand. I rolled the metal along my fingers, making sure it was tangible. After several moments, I looked right into his dark brown eyes.

"Where did you get this?" I demanded, eyes wild I'm sure.

General folded his arms over his chest," Your husband, he very willingly gave it up."

A moment of silence passed through as I stood there, anticipating his next words.

"I guess that being because he was dead. At least you won't have a guilty conscious of lying to your people over his death."

The ring dropped from my hand and hit the wooden floor below.

No.

He couldn't be dead. Surely, all of this was just a lie. It had to be.

But then again…how else would he have gotten a hold of his wedding band? Caspian wouldn't have just willingly gave up something such as that. Despite the fact that my heart was being crushed on the inside, I stayed as calm as I could, swallowing the pain that I was not yet sure of. I could not show weakness.

"You're bluffing," I stammered, trying to convince myself.

"Why not just accept it?" he grumbled to me and as I stared into his almost-black eyes, I shook my head.

"Because you're a liar," I said, shakily," Why should I ever believe a word that comes from your mouth?"

I watched as he slowly arose from his desk and kept his eye on me as though I were his prey. Like any scared animal, I kept a close eye on him and slowly began creating space between the both of us.

"You may not believe me now," he said, growing closer," However, when they bring your husband's body into this castle for the memorial," I took another step back, finding the door was coming nearer.

I gulped. It was hard. It was hard to force myself to not believe him, or at least seem that way as he came closer and closer. My head wanted to believe him, but my heart had yet to cave in. Until the face of my husband was lying in front of me in a casket, I would not believe a word that came from his lips.

"You. Will. Believe," he said, his words very choppy, yet very direct and stern.

Before I knew it, my back had met the wall and I ran my hand down to the doorknob, wanting nothing more than to remove myself from this situation, but before I could even feel the metal on my palm, General had literally thrown himself into me, causing me to let out a shriek. I was taken aback by this sudden movement by him, but it should not have surprised me of what his intentions were. He lured me into a trap that I was not yet sure how I would get out. With all of his weight pressed against me and his single hand pinning both of my wrists above my head, I was not going anywhere.

"Let's face the facts here, Rosalie," he growled into my ear as I struggled," In a matter of days, you will be forced to devote yourself to _me_. I will be your King, now when Jacob first told me of his plan, I'll be honest, I wasn't too thrilled over it, but I started thinking to myself…" I fought him even more when he had both my wrists pinned over my head with a single hand and his other hand began to wander," We can have a little fun with this, neither of us have much of a choice."

"You're disgusting," I snarled at him, unable to remove myself from the man's grasp and unable to stop him from placing his hand wherever he wanted.

A smirk grew on his face," This is one of the luxuries of wanting power, along with it comes some nice other perks. Surely, you didn't think Caspian could keep you all to himself eh?" a sickening laugh came from his lips.

As he stood there, I finally started to calm myself, realizing that there was no immediate way that I would be able to free myself from this pig. I think he felt as I started relaxing slowly as I felt his lips hover over my own," That's right…that's right."

I didn't answer, but merely played the part just as he would want me to. As soon as his lips crashed onto my own, he was well distracted by lust, but I, however, was still thinking. I held back my lunch as I felt his hands roam wherever, his lips basically eat, I don't know if that's the proper term, my face and neck. Desire was exploding from this fellow and I merely lead him on to believe that I was equally interested by giving it back, but not nearly as much.

Just when I broke away to breathe, I noticed on the desk that a dagger still lay on the edge. My dagger. The dagger that had been taken from me when they first invaded the castle. Granted, there was plenty of room between myself and the desk, but it was quite possibly my only way out of this.

I took a deep breath in before pressing myself against the man, pretending as though it really were Caspian. After sliding my own hands up to his collar and guiding him strategically toward the desk, I found that he was getting the wrong message through all of this.

"See, I knew you would view this through my eyes," he basically moaned into my ear.

At this point, I was ready to go and take as many showers as possible and get rid of this guy once and for all. Though I was now within reach of my escape route, it was only a matter of grabbing it from the desk now. Trying to cover myself up well, I noticed that his own sword was still attached snugly onto his belt. By this point, he was no more focused on that sword than I was on actually feeling any emotion toward him.

Slyly, I moved my hands south and successfully dropped the weapon from his waist. I could feel a smile forming on his lips," Getting a little excited, are we?"

I felt my stomach lurch at this, but nevertheless, as I pushed the sword away with the tips of my toes, I mumbled into his ear," I couldn't fight forever."

This seemed to spur him even more," Well, if that's the case…" he trailed off and then he literally lifted me by the hips and sat me atop of Caspian's desk, keeping him distracted by locking lips with him, I swiftly grabbed the dagger from behind.

His arms were on either side of me, pinning me to the desk. Luckily, I still held the dagger tight behind my back and just as he leaned in once more, I slid the dagger up to his neck.

Instantly, his hands dropped from my hips as he began walking backward," Sneaky, very sneaky."

"You should be ashamed," I snarled once more at him as I directed him toward the door," These quarters are not meant for you. They are meant for the King and Queen of Narnia and should you ever step foot inside my husband and I's quarters again, then this dagger is going to cut a little deeper next time."

A slight look of fear was sent through his eyes as he slowly lifted his hands," Your brother will know of this."

"And Caspian will know of this when he returns of your behavior. He will be pleased to know of how you violated his wife," I growled, hardly scared of him anymore.

Before he could leave, I bent down quickly and grabbed the belt that held his sword. Just as he stepped into the corridor, I tossed him the belt," Don't ever speak to me again."

I didn't want to hear another word from him, in fact the whole scene that had just happened inspired me even more. As I pressed the door shut hard and made sure it was securely locked, I felt myself slowly sliding down the door, running my fingers through my hair. One thing was for sure, I was _not_ going to be married to that slime.

Jacob had sent him in here to convince me that Caspian was dead. Perhaps, if Jacob could have gotten me to believe it, then I would give in to their plan and just accept the fact that I was beat. Over in the corner, I saw the ring sitting on the floor, still. Slowly, I crawled over and placed the ring in my palm once more.

A tear fell from my face as I whispered," Where are _you_?"

I had tried to be strong to fool General, but then the other side of the argument entered my head. If Caspian was alive, wouldn't I have heard from him by this time? If he was alive, how would they have gotten his ring? If he was alive, then why would I feel so miserable as I curled up in a ball, tears spilling from my eyes…

**Author's Note: Yeah, I'm sure General is not everyone's favorite character right now…but keep on reading! I promise things will get better soon! Let me know what you're thinking. :)  
**


	18. Digging My Own Grave

**Disclaimer: I do not own much. The only thing I do know is that I own Rosalie, most of her family and some of her friends. That's it. You know what is and isn't mine. haha**_**  
**_

Chapter Eighteen: Digging My Own Grave

Jacob's eyes shifted at me as I stood on the pedestal in front of the Telmarines gathered in their city that had almost been torn to shambles. I took his notion as a signal for me to step forward, so I did. It was the same place where the Pevensies had left, the same place Caspian and I had announced our engagement, and the same place where I would more than likely lose the trust of my people.

The crowd was growing anxious as I stood in front of them, all eyes upon me. I swallowed hard, but before I could utter a word, a citizen yelled out," Why do we want to hear anything from you?"

"Yeah!" another chipped in.

"You're the reason our country has come to this mess!" a stocky man yelled from the back.

Before anyone else could come in, I spoke," Peace! Please, listen to the words I have to say!"

I did not think they would listen, but to my surprise, there was silence. Complete and utter, silence.

"Now," I said, looking out to the crowd," I know that I have not provided you with the best of protection. I know that both I and my husband have failed at keeping this nation safe and the mistake we've made has cost many Telmarine lives. Many of you may be sitting out there, wondering just why it is that I have allowed the same men that destroyed our city to be the ones standing behind me today."

I paused and glanced back at my brother and General, both of whom, were smiling from ear to ear. I couldn't help but feel sick; this was where the lie began. As the silence grew, I stared out into the various eyes of the people who had endured too much pain as it was.

"They've offered to make a deal with us that I cannot turn down. They have offered us something that could make us all live in peace," another pause came, this was where I had to tell them of Caspian's death, the part which I myself did not know if it was true or not," For I cannot run a country alone."

"What of Caspian?" a man yelled out," Where be your husband?"

Another round of yells went through the crowd," Yes! Where is he?"

"He swore to protect us as well!"

This was a new side to the Telmarines. The last I had known, they were loyal to us, but now it appeared that some emotions were beginning to run short as the supplies the city had began to dwindle even more.

"Please!" I begged them from where I stood," Please, listen!"

Another silence sat in the air.

"My husband is dead."

Gasps, swears, and chatter rang through the crowd, but before it could become too out of hand, once again, I stepped in," He was found dead up North. It can be assumed that he died in battle."

"Against these pigs?" the same man exclaimed.

"It is unknown the specific details, but there will be a memorial service held for him at the castle. Announcements will be held later this week, but please be assured that I have a plan that will allow for the all of us to recuperate from this. I know just as well as you how painful this is…I know…"I trailed off for a brief moment, praying that it was only a lie…praying that I was not speaking the truth.

As the tears were shed and whispers rushed through the crowd, I continued," Caspian would have only wanted for me to find someone else to run the nation," these words stung the more I spoke," So, he picked no other than the man by the name of General to be your new King."

"That dirty pig has been in on the whole thing! He's in cahoots with the filthy slime that invaded our nation!" a woman screamed from the crowd.

I wanted so badly to agree with this woman, but I feared that one wrong word would have me dead. Jacob wouldn't feel bad at all to kill me right there in front of the entire population. Despite the fact, I wanted to praise this woman, I had to defend my lie.

"General is a good man. He is in compliance with hearing Jacob out on what he wants to do for all of us know that we haven't the strength to be able to bring him down on our own. General is willing to aid me in running the nation. All new laws and decrees that are made, will be passed by the both of us. I assure you that he is of no danger to…us." The last words being especially painful.

"I expect that all of you will be respectful of this new shift in leadership. I will still be here, but things are going to change and I pray that all of you will realize that it is only…" I trailed off…involuntarily.

All of this was so wrong. So incredibly wrong. Every single one of their eyes stared at me, some of them not believing, but the most of them hanging on to every word I said. There were few that would outrage, but for the most part, they believed me and that was what disturbed me. They were believing this lie. They were falling in to Jacob's trap. This was exactly what he wanted.

But how could I stop it?

"Rosalie…," Jacob growled from behind me.

Should I not finish this phrase, then they would know that this was a lie. They would know that I was being forced to say all of this…

"It is only for the best," I said, trying to hold back the tears," Thank you, now you will hear a few words from your new King."

Without another word, I turned swiftly on my heel and stood off to the side where both of them, Jacob and Penelope would have a close watch on me. I faked a smile at General, I was told to play up our new arrangement before I took my spot to listen.

I listened, trying to hold myself back as my brother took the stage. He was charming and charismatic. I think he even cleaned up a bit for this appearance. The whole speech (I will save you all of the details) was basically over how he planned to aid me in setting Narnia up for success once more. It didn't take long for him to invite my brother up on the stage and for the both of them to explain that really all they wanted was the best for the country and nothing more (which I knew was a blatant lie).

And even though the people were heartbroken for the loss of their King, I watched as acceptance grew toward these two men. And it made me angry. All of me wished that the crowd would riot and want to impeach the both of them before they could even be coroneted, but it was the opposite rather. Their charms had the people confused.

By the end of the day, it was as if nothing were wrong with them coming in and taking over the country. Their job was accomplished.

The people whom I had thought would stay true, were listening, but they were not staying true to what really mattered. They were true to me, but I was feeding them lies...

* * *

_Later that week…_

"This really is a dreadful dress," Emily murmured as she laced the back of the black gown I was to wear to the funeral that evening.

I stared at myself in the mirror, knowing that I had to have looked like an awful mess. Ever since I had learned that they were bringing Caspian's body to the memorial, the realization hit me. He had to be dead.

"I am so sorry, Rosalie," she whispered, grabbing a black veil that lay on the vanity behind her.

I couldn't speak. I could hardly say anything. His body. His cold body was going to be laid out in front of me and I was almost certain that I would not be able to contain myself. Caspian saved me. Caspian was my best friend. The only memory I still had of him was his ring that was enclosed in the far back of my vanity drawer. He was dead…that was the only option at this point.

She placed the veil atop of my head and placed it over my eyes. It was nowhere near as long as the one I had worn just a few months prior to the day, when Caspian and I had been married. It was still thick enough to where if anyone looked at me, they would not see my tears.

A knock could be heard from the door, but I only knew of it because Emily was soon dragging me toward the exit. Without another glance in the mirror, I was exiting my vanity.

"You are being offered to see the body," she whispered to me," If that is too much-"

"No," I stopped her and turned my head toward her," I want to see him."

It seemed like eternity, but eventually I found myself standing in the grand hall of the castle. In front of me stood a casket that was adorned with many types of flowers and such, a crown placed on the top. I found it curious that the casket was closed.

General came walking up to me," Do you believe me now?" he asked, motioning toward the casket.

Not making eye contact with him, I looked over at the casket," I will believe you when I see him."

"I don't believe you will be doing that dear sister," Jacob said, somewhat somberly as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I rolled my shoulder out of his grasp before saying," And why's that?"

"The medics say that his injuries were much too brutal to be shown to the public."

"But surely," I argued, looking my brother straight in the eye through my veil," They will allow it for me."

"Rosalie-" Jacob argued, pulling me away from the casket.

"Please Jacob," I looked at him, my eyes bulging with tears. If I wanted anything in the world, it was to see my husband, gory or not, one last time.

For a brief moment, as my brother's hazel eyes stared into my own, looking straight into my heart. I thought that he would allow me to see my love once more, but he merely shook his head. There was no smartness in his tone, in fact, he said nothing, but simply turned on his heel and began walking alongside General. As they left, some more of the servants came up to me to lead me to where my seat would be for the service.

However, I was no idiot.

Jacob's ploy was very clever. He was a brilliant liar and for some reason, I felt unsure about this whole plot. For some reason, my instinct was shouting at me to do something. As the servants lead me along, thinking I was too unstable to be able to walk on my own, I immediately broke out of their grasp and ran with all my might toward the casket.

I had to see him.

I needed proof.

With tears in my eyes, I threw open the latch that kept it closed and then threw open the top of the casket. My heart sank as I saw his clothing. The same riding gear he had worn that same day when he left to fight these monsters. His skin was the same coloring as it was when he were alive, but his face was covered. It may have been useless, this may have been all I needed was his clothing to see that it was him, but my hand reached up for the veil that covered his own face.

And my heart fluttered.

"Lady Rosalie!" the servants were in a fluster as they swarmed around me, but I wanted to jump for joy.

"It's not him!" I yelled, a smile growing on my face," Caspian's not dead! He's still somewhere! He has to be!"

"What do you-"

It didn't take long for all them to recognize that thought the man that lay in the casket may have resembled my husband greatly, it was obviously not him. This fellow was not nearly as, ahem, good looking, if I do say so, as Caspian. His skin, now that I more closely saw it, was not nearly as dark.

"Rosalie!" Emily exclaimed running toward me and I immediately embraced her.

"He's still alive!" I exclaimed again," There's still hope."

She looked right at me and said," This is wonderful news!"

Before the celebration could get out of hand, I noticed that Jacob and General both had re-entered the room, fury written on their faces. Immediately, I broke away from Emily and stared hard at them, lifting my veil from my face.

"You thought you could get away with this?" I challenged Jacob, raising my brow.

He snarled at me, hardly finding the words to speak.

General spoke for him," You've only dug your own grave, Rosalie. This was very foolish for you to do."

"I would be so bold to say that it would be the other way around, General," I growled at him," You are the foolish one. This only means that Caspian must still be living somewhere, which means that he is somewhere working hard to come back to us."

Jacob smiled at this," I wouldn't be so sure of that, sister. Enjoy the rest of today and this evening, Rosalie, because tomorrow it will be you that explains why the dear King is not dead. It will be you that explains how you faked his death to get more attention."

"That's not true and you-"

"I told you it was a bad idea," Penelope snarled at Jacob as she appeared in her own black attire next to him from the stairway," I told you!"

"Shut up!" he attacked her before turning to me," It's not like lying isn't one of your many talents, Rosalie. What's once more?"

That was the problem.

I wouldn't lie anymore. In fact, I was determined that by the time the next day rolled around, I would no longer be in Telmar. I would be on my quest to find Caspian with or without the assistance from anyone else.

No longer would I be his little puppet.

**Author's Note: There it is! I actually still have quite a few more chapters planned out…I have a feeling that this story is going to be much longer than the first one, so stay tuned! Also, make sure you tell me what you think ****:)**


	19. A Secret That I Didn't Know Of

**Disclaimer: I don't really own much.**

Chapter Nineteen: A Secret That I Didn't Know

I was "sent to my room" like I was some sort of child. They locked me in my room, even kept a guard or two outside. I guess I couldn't blame them, but it was still a little ridiculous. They did, however, allow me to see Emily and, a face I had not been allowed to see for quite some time, Trina.

"Where have they been keeping you?" I asked the light haired woman, who appeared to have aged greatly in the time we had been apart.

"I've been kept down in the dungeons, love," she said to me somberly, placing a hand on my knee as she sat beside me.

"Dungeons, but why?" I asked her, concern filling my face.

She smirked slightly," I took a stand against them at the beginning, before I could contact you about all of this. Let's just say that was not the most brilliant thing I could have done."

"I thought they may have killed you!" I exclaimed, still worried greatly for her well-being.

"They came close, dear Rosalie, but they did not taint my spirit. Enough of me, how have you been?" she asked, looking directly at me.

"Awful," I told her plainly," Absolutely dreadful. Trina, they've taken everything away from me and made me their puppet. Caspian is gone, gone into some sort of trap they've set for him, Penelope betrayed us, Doctor Cornelius has left into hiding, I am to do nothing without the permission of my brother. I was forced to trick the people into believing that Caspian is dead so that General, my brother's croonie, can marry me and take control…it's all a huge mess that I wish could have been avoided."

"This really is painful to listen to," she told me honestly, looking into my eyes sincerely.

I looked at her with a raise of my brow," It's even more painful to tell."

"Hey now," she said quietly, grabbing both of my hands, forcing me to look directly at her," You know that you can get out of all this right?"

I sighed," Isn't that a nice fantasy? How in the world would I be able to get out of here? Have you seen the guards outside of my door? Thanks to my big mouth, they don't trust me even more now. Plus, I could never leave the people. They would consider me a traitor…"

A smile played upon her lips," I think I have a way to get you out of here and I don't think your people could stay angry for too long."

"What do you mean?" I asked delicately, scrutinizing her face.

With a glance to the door where guards were probably standing close watch, she pulled me back into Caspian's study and shut the door, locking it as she did. She lead me over to his desk and pulled a key from her small necklace that I had never noticed until now, probably because she kept it hidden deep in her dress.

"Trina, I-" I tried, but she put up a hand to silence me.

She opened the first drawer with ease and, to my surprise, pulled the entire drawer out of the desk. Turning, she sat the drawer, filled with various items, in the chair that sat behind his desk, before I watched her dig her hand back into the deep compartment of the desk.

"You have anything that you will need to take with you?" she asked me hurriedly, looking up from her work briefly.

"Trina, what's going on?" I asked, trying to slow this whole process down a little.

"Listen, Doctor Cornelius and I have been in correspondence for quite some time now. Caspian gave my husband a key to a secret passage that he didn't want anyone to know of. Apparently, this was one of the few things that his father showed him when he was a small boy. He didn't trust anyone with the knowledge of this passage. It is only to be used in absolute emergencies and that is why I am asking you: you really want to bring down your brother? You really want things to change? Because I don't have to show this to you."

Her words were coming out so quickly that it made my head spin as she spoke. I somehow managed to make sense of it and nodded my head quickly before I swallowed hard, making a realization. Caspian really had this planned out? He really knew about this all this time? And he hadn't told me?

The whole process felt more like a dream than anything.

"Of course, it's just that I still have many questions and-"

"Save your questions for Cornelius, I don't know how much longer they will allow me to be in here with you. They will soon suspect something, I'm sure. Especially since your little fit you threw earlier," she said before thrusting the key into the inner folds of the desk.

I watched, still confused as the floorboards starting folding away from one another directly under Caspian's desk. Flabbergasted, I took a step back as the desk moved to the other side of the room and it was not long before a gaping hole sat there, staring at me. The floorboards had literally stacked themselves away, like they knew exactly what to do…interesting. Immediately, Trina ran over to the door and unlocked it.

"Emily!" she whispered into the hallway, trying to be as quiet as she could be.

I made my way over to the gaping hole that was now in the middle of the office floor. There was no sign of any sort of light, in fact, for all I knew, if I jumped down there, I wouldn't see the day again.

"Trina?" I questioned warily, but she was hardly paying attention to me. She was entirely focused on talking to Emily in hushed whispers over, whatever it was they were talking about.

It didn't take long for my servant girl to come scurrying into the room, a smile on her face after she had finished speaking with Trina," Are you ready?" she asked, her voice sounding…excited?

"You knew about this?" I asked her as Trina walked over to the desk that seemingly moved itself, looking through the drawers once more.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, standing beside me," Caspian and Trina informed me of it months ago!"

"So, I was the only one that didn't know," I said aloud," How lovely."

"Don't think of it like that!" Trina exclaimed from the other side of the room, still searching for something," Think of it as for your own good."

"It was for-"

"Like I said, all questions, save them for Doctor Cornelius," she told me, placing the key she had used to unveil the hole back into its original lock, before she could turn it she said," I wish the both of you the best of luck."

I couldn't believe it. Here I was, thinking that I was just going to have a night of speaking with Trina, my good friend, but now here I was, standing at the edge of a dark hole that appeared seemingly out of no where from the bottom of my husband's study. I hadn't even thought everything over, really.

With my leaving, that would mean that I would be abandoning my people. That meant that I may or may not come back. I was assuming that I would be successful in whatever lie ahead and not only that, there would be a brief time where my people would be under the command of Jacob. Would I be willing to do that?

I didn't have much of a choice for it did not take long for the pounding on the doors to begin and Trina's eyes meet my own with a look of fear.

"Go!" she cried, about to turn the key and close the hole off for good.

My decision had been made for me as my servant girl grabbed my hand and jumped into the dark hole.

* * *

I didn't like falling.

In fact, I _detested_ falling.

The darkness that surrounded the both of us didn't help my liking of the situation any more. I felt as though I was literally falling for eternity before I felt the frail hand of Emily grab me in the thick darkness.

"We should be hitting ground soon!" she called to me, which, surprisingly did not comfort me much.

"I don't know if I want to!" I cried, but she never did respond.

I was expecting to hit ground, like my servant had told me, but I was once again wrong. With a _splash_, we landed in the river that lay just outside the castle. As I sunk to the bottom of the river, I felt Emily pulling me quickly to the surface. The river water was bitterly cold. There was a certain chill to it that literally sent a chill throughout my entire body. The chill probably was from a combination of both my wetness and the fact that I knew people were chasing me once again.

"Come on!" she urged me as I came to the surface for a big gulp of air.

I wanted to ask so many questions, but found that it was not the best timing. We soon came to a depth where the both of us could easily touch the ground, we placed our feet firmly on the dirt that lie at the bottom and though our bodies were shivering, we exited the river.

The light dress that I had been wearing seemed to cling to my body and the breeze that came through the forest sent another bitter cold shiver through me. Emily, despite the fact that she was drenched as well, continued running. I looked back one last time and noticed the castle, still standing tall.

Men were running frantically around the exterior of the castle, it hadn't taken long for them to realize my disappearance.

It broke my heart to be running away from home once more, but I really didn't have a choice. This was my only option if I wanted the old Narnia to be restored. The picture of my sister came to my head as Emily led me through the dark forest for seemingly eternity. I never got the chance to speak with her before I ran off again. I would never know if she was really turning against me or if it was merely another trick…I could only safely assume that she was against me.

"It shouldn't be much longer!" Emily called to me.

We continued running and running until I literally felt as though my legs were about to break off from my body. It was then that I realized how out of shape I was. We ran and ran until literally all I could see behind, in front of, beside, and around me were trees. The moon was perched high in the sky as we made our mission through the woods. It surprised me how well Emily seemed to know what she was doing, she would have plenty of answers for me after we finally stopped.

While I was still in a dead sprint, without any warning, Emily stopped abruptly. I stopped a couple yards in front of her before I actually noticed how quickly she had come to a stop. Puzzled once more, I looked at her," Wha-We were-How?"

Hunched over, she tried catching her breath," We entered into Aslan's temporary boundary that he created around the cottage Doctor Cornelius has taken refuge to. They won't find us now."

She acted like all of a sudden this was no big deal.

I heaved in, trying to steady my breath," What?" I exclaimed," They're still out there and are-"

"Rosalie," she lifted her head to look at me," Trust me, Aslan's got it covered."

"Those pigs were just on our tails and you're telling me that suddenly they can't see us anymore?" I asked, finding this whole situation still a little odd.

She chuckled as she stood up to her full height and continued at her leisurely pace," Okay, you can still jog if you like, but I'm walking the rest of the way."

Letting out a sigh and accepting defeat, I walked alongside her," Can you explain what's going on now?"

"Like Trina said, Cornelius has got this whole thing set up. I was merely told what to do thus far and have no idea what we are doing after this," she told me as I saw a small cottage up ahead that sat on the river coming up in the distance.

It was time to get this figured out once and for all.

* * *

Stepping into Cornelius's cottage was like taking a step back in time to when I was a little girl going to visit my grandparents. My grandparents weren't alive for very long during my lifetime and I was actually very, very young whenever they were, but nevertheless, the feeling I had as a toddler, running to my grandma's arms was unlike any feeling in the world.

The elderly gentleman stood at the door and welcomed me with a big smile. Instantly, I threw my arms around him and held him tight just as I had when I saw my grandparents. He was one of my only "family" members that I had whom I could actually trust and I hadn't even seen him for many weeks!

"Dear Rosalie," he said in my ear, with a chuckle in his voice," How wonderful it is to see you once again!"

"Oh, doctor," I said to him, still not wanting to break the embrace," You don't even know how wonderful it is to see you again."

"Come, come, child and let us discuss all of what has happened," he told me, finally as I stepped away from the older gentleman and entered into his cottage.

The cottage was very cozy. It was not on the same grandeur scale as that of the castle, no it had much more feel of home to me. The fire crackling in the main room as we entered appeared so inviting as well as all of the wood furniture that lay around the room. Doctor Cornelius, after embracing Emily, took a seat in his rocking chair.

"Take a seat by the fire!" he encouraged and we both quickly accepted," I assumed the both of you would be a little damp from your trip."

Both Emily and I made our way over to the crackling fire and took a seat in front of it, trying to force heat back into our bodies. I curled my legs up as Emily grabbed the both of us a blanket from the basket nearby. As I draped the blanket over my shoulder, I tried to silence the chatter that came from my teeth. In addition to this, I tried wringing out my sopping wet hair.

"Am I allowed to ask questions now?" I asked, looking over at the short man who was now rocking gently back and forth in his chair.

"I assumed that you would be filled with many questions," he told me, a small smile coming to his lips.

**Author's Note: Okay, so there we have it! I should be able to post more frequently now that school is slowly starting to wind down (Yay). Thank you to everyone who has given feedback to this story thus far and taken time to read it!  
**

**On a side note, both this story and Rosalie Sopespian were added to a member's "slay" community. I don't really know what it means to "slay" a fan fiction, but I found it rather humorous…I guess just the fact that someone would take the time to make a "slay" list makes me chuckle…haha. I guess when I read a piece of someone else's work that I don't particularly like or agree with, I simply go on searching until I find something that I do like, but that's just me. ****:)**


	20. Half of the Story

**Disclaimer: I don't own much, only Rosalie and friends.**

Chapter Twenty: Half of the Story

Emily and I sat talking with Cornelius as if nothing had happened for quite some time. I almost felt as though they could sense whenever I was about to slide in a reference to all that had happened. Every time I opened my mouth to talk, the subject changed abruptly. Finding it odd, I went along with their little game for awhile, but after hours started passing…I was set on getting my answers.

"It appears to be getting late out," Cornelius said with a sigh, looking out the tiny cottage window.

I felt the servant beside me start to stir as if she were getting anxious.

"Perhaps, we should go to bed now? It's been quite the day, what say you Rosalie?" she asked me, starting to prop herself up on her hands.

"Actually, I was rather hoping to get some answers tonight. This small talk has been wonderful, but there is a lot that has happened that I have no recollection of."

They both stared at me as if I was crazy. After releasing a sigh, Cornelius nodded to Emily to sit back down and she did rather unwillingly. Curiosity filled my head, he had told me when we first arrived that he would have been willing to answer any of my questions. Now, there he was-scared to talk.

"Rosalie-" Emily started, awkwardly.

"Emily," I shot her a look," I want to know what's going on, starting with why and how I ended up here because quite frankly, I should be facing my marriage to General back at the castle, I should be facing dangers, but here I sit, safe."

"Perhaps, you are right dear Emily, perhaps we should wait-" Cornelius tried speaking over me.

Before Cornelius could stand up or finish his phrase, I had interrupted," No! You told me that you would give me answers. Do you realize the pain and agony I have been suffering in that castle for the last however many months?"

The doctor's eyes met mine for prolonged moment before a sigh was released from his lips.

"Sit down, Emily," Cornelius told her calmly before looking away.

It seemed as though he was finally considering his answers. I looked at him, desperately, almost.

"Rosalie, you must realize that the process by which we followed to get you here was by no means easy. There was a considerable amount of planning, timing, and actually following through that placed all of us in danger," he said to me, very delicately," I think we have some time to merely begin the story."

* * *

The moon rose high over the castle in Telmar as a blanket of darkness lay over the land. Almost all of the residents of the town had already resided for the night and very few stayed up in the castle. Servants ran about, finishing up their evening chores, extra guards stood watch for just the day before, a breach on the castle had been made during the royal wedding. Few workers in the grand room were leaving their work on fixing the broken windows, the rest had been long gone earlier that day.

The young king and queen lay in bed, few candles still lit in the room as they both prepared for sleep. The last few days had been rather strenuous on the both of them and it had felt rather nice to be able to relax. Caspian, a journal open on his lap as he continued writing in the candlelight and Rosalie the same, only instead of writing, she was reading one of the history books she had managed to find in Caspian's library.

"You say this is your father's book?" Rosalie asked, there had been no speaking between the two of them for quite some time.

Caspian, caught a little off guard looked over at her then at the book cover," That would be a safe assumption. Why do you ask?"

"It appears to be a history school book," she said with a small chuckle, causing Caspian to come closer to her," I rather like the commentary and doodles in the margins."

Emily, who had been tending to the vanity room stepped into the royal chambers, interrupting their conversation," Are the both of you ready for bed? Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Chuckling, Rosalie motioned for the servant girl to come to her bedside," Now, look at this book. It does not look near old enough to be his father's, am I correct?"

After traveling to the other side of the room and looking over the worn, but not overly used book, Emily answered with a smirk," It looks rather young to me."

With a devilish smirk at Caspian, she turned to the front page:

PROPERTY OF PRINCE CASPIAN

Turning back to the pictures, both of the girls began chuckling at the beards drawn on the old princesses and mustaches on the queens. Not only had he had fun with the doodling, he also enjoyed adding his own commentary over events which he found to be "amazing" or events he found to be "brainless". After several tries of trying to swipe the book from Rosalie's possession, he finally retrieved the book and shut it quickly.

"I'm sure you've some pretty entertaining school books of your own," Caspian shot back playfully at Rosalie.

"I did not draw mustaches on the princesses! It's rather disrespectful if you ask me," Rosalie answered, hardly able to stifle her laughter.

"…It's rather disrespectful if you ask me…oh please, Rosalie," he mocked her, rolling his eyes with a small laugh.

Emily, after several moments of laughter, then proceeded to say," I do not want to be of any disturbance to the both of you any longer. I am going to go to my quarters now."

Few laughs lingered in the air as the servant girl made her way to the door, both the king and queen bid her farewell. Small talk filled the air for few minutes before the both of them agreed it was time to retire for the evening. Rosalie turned and blew out the candle that lay on her bedside table, as did Caspian.

"Goodnight, Caspian," Rosalie mumbled to him after several moments as she curled up next to him, placing her head on his chest," I love you."

Situating himself in the bed, he replied," Goodnight, Rosalie. I love you too," he whispered.

Rosalie fell asleep very quickly it seemed. It pained Caspian greatly to watch her sleep, for he knew that he would not be able to stay with her for much longer and be able to celebrate their marriage. As she lay there, curled up close to him, all he wanted was to be able to stay there with her and fall sleep next to the woman he loved. He knew this was not the case. In fact, for all he knew, that could have been one of the last times he watched her fall asleep.

He also knew that Rosalie would not have approved of what he was about to do. Slowly, he moved his body away from hers, careful not to wake her. He placed a kiss on her forehead once before tossing his legs out of the covers and sliding out of bed. He moved out stealthily to his study, where Emily was seated at his desk. She never had left.

"Are you ready?" he whispered to her, grabbing a robe from the closet just outside of the study to cover his nightshirt.

"Of course," she answered, and quickly scurried to door alongside Caspian.

They were off to plan an escape. Not an escape for Caspian. Not an escape for Emily, but an escape for Rosalie. Caspian knew that Jacob, the proprietor of the evil out West, had his eyes on taking over the castle. Though his own military plan was to stop Jacob before he could ever get to the castle, he realized that this was not the reality of it. There was a very good chance that Jacob could break into the castle and should that happen, Rosalie needed a way out.

Quickly, they moved through the dark corridors of the castle until they found one of the servant stairwells that led down to the tunnels underneath the castle. The same tunnels that Penelope had been able to navigate the year before in order to break Rosalie out of captivity. Caspian had made a plan for several of he and Rosalie's closest companions to meet deep in one of the castle's tunnels. After many turns, both he and Emily finally arrived at the dead end that would have made a nice, secluded, meeting place.

As soon as they arrived, Emily took a seat on the dirt ground, tired," Could we plan our next one of these at day time?"

"I think that would defeat the purpose of the meeting," the king replied with a small chuckle.

"It's just that-" before the servant girl could finish her sentence, footsteps could be heard in the distance.

Both of them knew that it would more than likely just be one of the people they had invited, but one could never be too sure. Several moments later, Apollo and Trina appeared.

"Caspian!" Trina exclaimed, hugging him and placing her hands on either side of his face like any mother would," You are alright, thank goodness, where is Rosalie? How is she? Is she-"

"Sweetheart," Apollo interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder," Why don't you give the man a chance to explain all this in a moment?"

She looked at her husband with wide eyes before giving a nod of understanding. Apollo clapped Caspian on the shoulder hard before moving along with his wife to greet Emily. Seconds later, Cornelius arrived, pulling his hood from his head as he turned the corner and greeted his pupil with a smile and hug.

"Good to see you, doctor," Caspian said to him in a hushed tone.

"As it is to see you, your majesty," Cornelius replied with a smile before moving along as well.

They waited for awhile for the last member to arrive and after several minutes passed, Caspian approached Cornelius," I told you she wasn't trust-"

"Talking about me? Again?" a hooded figure that soon revealed herself to be, Penelope asked, raising her brow.

Caspian shut his mouth quickly, embarrassed that she had just been turning the corner when he chose to talk about her. With another glare, she passed him and stood between Emily and Trina. He felt guilty, but both he and Penelope had not been on the best terms for quite some time. They had been able to keep it low key in front of most other than this group of people.

"Now that we are all here," Caspian said, clearing his throat," I'd like to go ahead and start. Now, I realize that we cannot be missing for long, so I have one plan that I believe may work."

Then, nothing else seemed to matter as the king explained his thoughts.

" After the wedding, it would be safe for us to say that Jacob Sopespian is a new threat to Narnia. Both Apollo and I spent almost all of yesterday trying to track him and were surprised greatly for we did not expect his numbers to increase so drastically. Our plans, as far as militia, do not apply to you all for you will be living at the castle in our absence," he said in a hushed tone, looking around to all of them. Trina grabbed her husband's hand and squeezed it tightly.

Caspian continued," So, after much discussion on our return trip yesterday, we have decided that there is a possibility that we may not succeed immediately in our quest to vanquish Jacob and his men. Somehow, through someone, he has been able to recruit many men from the backwoods, small villages, that really have had no contact with society for quite some time. We haven't many details at the moment, but soon we will find out. With all this being said, in the case that we should not be able to get rid of Jacob and he should come to the castle walls…we want you all to be prepared."

They watched intently as Caspian pulled a small, dainty, golden chain from his neck. At the end of the chain was a little key, and little was a very accurate description of it. It hardly looked as though any hole would fit that key.

"This is your escape route. This key is the way that you are to get out of the castle, should anything go wrong," he said to them all, holding it so that all could see it.

"How is a key going to help us any?" Trina asked, watching it closely.

"I'm glad you asked that," Caspian said to her," This key fits into one hole. That hole lies in the inside of my desk in my study. You should be able to pull out the very first, largest drawer and search around, but you shouldn't miss it. The desk has been passed down through many generations and I hardly remember much from my young childhood, but one thing I do remember is being told about the secret passageway that leads out of the castle. I was given this key at a very young age and should the undesirable happen, it may be one of your only ways out."

"Where does it lead to?" Trina asked once more.

"The river," Emily answered, surprising Trina," I was the one who got to test the passageway. It dumps directly into the river."

The light haired lady nodded her head in understandment as Caspian explained," I had Emily see where this would lead to…just to be sure it would be an option."

"So, just how is all of this going to work?" Penelope asked, looking at her brother-in-law with little enthusiasm, biting her lip to stay calm.

He looked at her, glared almost," The main goal of this is to get Rosalie out of the castle first, as we all should be in agreement with. Should they take Rosalie, then they will take the crown. Knowing Jacob, I do not think he would up and kill Rosalie, he is going to try and get inside her head. The quicker we can get her out of his clutches, the better."

"I agree, the young queen need not be exposed to him any longer than she has to be," Apollo chipped in," I may not be able to be here to aid, but I do agree with this. Rosalie is a strong young lady, but being around her unstable brother for long may begin to wear on her."

"This is true," Caspian agreed with his advisor before beginning once more," And it is for this reason that I cannot give you a formal plan. I do not know what Jacob is going to do, I haven't any clue, but I wanted all of you to know that you have a way out. It pains me to not be of more help, but I trust that all of you will be able to figure a way to get her out."

"Why don't we tell Rosalie? Wouldn't that make this whole process much easier?" Emily asked, mostly out of curiosity.

Caspian gulped as his eyes shifted from Cornelius to Penelope, who both quickly glanced away from him," It was decided that it was in the best intentions of Rosalie that she not be told."

"Why don't you explain that to us, your majesty?" Penelope asked, a small smirk coming to her face as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Caspian appeared as though he wanted to strangle Penelope right there, in front of all of them, but he controlled his temper," Rosalie will be in no position to be of any help. I do not want to add any more stress to her than necessary-"

"That's an awful ex-"

"Silence!" Caspian yelled at Penelope before she could finish, his fuse running awfully short.

All of them knew that there had to be a deeper reasoning, for Caspian was not one to go behind the back of his wife, but he was not willing to open up with the group, which was odd for him.

"Anyways," he said, trying to clear the tension after several moments," I have been told of a safe haven that Aslan has created. Cornelius has offered to, when the time arises, to go and prepare the cottage for whomever will be breaking Rosalie out."

"Well," Trina spoke up," It appears as though the only two who are really available to be able to do the actual breaking out would be Emily and myself. However, you only mean for all of this to happen should your plan with the army fail, correct?"

"Yes, and as of now, I am still confident in our plan, but I would rather for all of you to be informed than not be should our plan not succeed. That being said," he handed Trina the key," Please keep good care of this. You all don't deserve surprises," Caspian assured all of them. Trina nodded her head, assuring Caspian she would keep the key safe.

Finally, the time came for them to depart for their home quarters once more and with several 'goodbyes' and handshakes, everyone had left, but the only one who remained leaned against the tunnel wall, arms crossed over her chest as she looked at Caspian with a cold, hard stare.

"Rosalie deserves to know, Caspian," Penelope said firmly, he turned back toward his new younger sister.

Not wanting to answer, he looked away before sighing," I know she does, Penelope."

"Then why don't you tell her?" Penelope demanded, unfolding her arms in frustration.

"I can't take any chances, Penelope," Caspian defended," If Rosalie knew anything like you know about Jacob's plans and whereabouts, there is a good chance that she would try to do something and right now…I just need her to cooperate."

She tossed herself away from the wall," By practically lying to her? She trusts you and if she ever finds out about this-"

"She's not," Caspian suddenly growled, looking at Penelope," Right?"

Slightly taken aback, Penelope answered," Of course not, but I'm just giving you my input. Don't say that I didn't warn you, Caspian."

Just as Penelope was about to storm off from her brother-in-law, he spoke to her once more," Have you heard any more from Jacob?"

The young Sopespian girl released a sigh as she considered not answering. Caspian was a good leader, but now that the stress had been placed upon his shoulders; he was beginning to worry to the point of being paranoid.

"You're interested in that now?" Penelope asked, turning her head slightly to see the tan-skinned king coming closer to her.

He sighed," I know I haven't been the most supportive of this plan, Penelope. In fact, if I could go back to the day when you said that Jacob had contacted you and wanted your assistance, I would have told you to cut off all contact like you wanted to do. I was wrong in telling you to try and bait your brother in, but-"

"But what?" Penelope said strongly, trying to steady her breath as she looked directly into Caspian's deep brown eyes," You've done nothing but accuse me of being a traitor since I started speaking with Jacob which I find rather ironic due to the fact that you wanted me to start this in the first place. I was going to tell him no."

Caspian raised his hands in defense while still keeping calm," I know this is true Penelope. It's just that whenever they got close to the castle, especially the threatening of Emily, I was not expecting there to be that big of a production."

"You have to understand that if I am to work with him, then I am going to have to be apart of some things that you or I may not feel comfortable with. In the time that I have started this, I have decided that this is the only chance of stopping Jacob. If I can lead him to believe that the role of king is his, even if that means aiding him into the castle, then I must do it. I'll have you know that I never will do something that completely oversteps the boundaries, I will have him take my life before I were to do any real harm to any of the residents of this castle," she explained to him, trying to place the bitterness she had toward him away.

There was a silence while Caspian looked away and wrung his hands nervously," I trust you, Penelope. I apologize for criticizing you for your work thus far. You must at least understand where I am coming from?"

"Of course," she said softly after several moments of pondering," I should have better informed you of my plans. From here on out, I will make sure you know of every single detail. Even when you are away, I will be sure to send you transcripts."

Genuinely, Caspian looked into the green eyes of Penelope and smiled. She was so much like her sister, his wife, in so many ways, but she was also much different than Rosalie as well. Penelope had the same drive that Rosalie always had, but Penelope could be much more sly about her emotions, while Rosalie always had a tendency to be bold.

"Thank you and I really do apologize for all of that," he said to her, still embarrassed.

"It's fine as long as I still have your support now," Penelope said with a gulp," This is when things get hard with Jacob. He plans on taking the castle in less than three days in the next few months."

The young king nodded his head understanding," That is of no surprise to me, which is why I had this meeting tonight. I did not want to chance anything."

There was another silence as we both looked at each other before starting to step away. Before he turned completely away, Penelope stopped him again," Can you really not tell me as to why you are not telling Rosalie any of this?"

Caspian wanted to tell Penelope everything he had on his heart and the reasoning behind his secrecy with his new wife, but he knew he would never be able to fully express the strange emotions that lie in his heart over these new situations. Finding it would be inappropriate to speak, he merely shook his head at the young Penelope, which seemed to suffice as an answer for her.

"Alright then," she muttered, more to herself than Caspian," Goodnight, Caspian."

"Goodnight to you as well, Penelope," he said gently, but she could tell that there was still something the king was not telling her.

* * *

I hardly knew how to respond, but the first emotion that surfaced was anger. A different type of anger that I hadn't felt toward anyone, especially not Caspian, in quite some time. Deep down, I knew that I admired all of them for taking risks to keep me safe, but the manner in which they proceeded to do it…

"Rosalie, there is much more to the story and if you would like to hear-" Cornelius tried, but I shook my head as I rose to my feet.

"I haven't an interest at the moment," I grumbled to the both of them as I made my way to the door of the cottage.

Emily, seeing my intentions scampered to her feet and threw herself in front of me before I could exit the cottage," You mustn't leave the boundaries of the cottage. The river is the end of the protection."

I stared blankly at her and nodded my head," I appreciate your concern, Emily and I can assure you that I will not push the limits should you leave me be."

She didn't want to step aside. I saw it clearly in her brown eyes that she wanted to stay there and defend that doorway, preventing me from leaving their sight. Her defiance shattered as she took a step away from the door.

"You only know half the story," she muttered to me just as I placed my foot to the outside world.

But it didn't matter. The half that I did know was enough to make me not want to hear any more, as childish as that was.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! School has been ridiculous, finals are coming up! Also, I hope this chapter made sense. I wanted to get this just right without telling you guys everything that happened. I promise that everything will start to come together soon and this chapter was just suppose to touch on everything that has happened ****J Thanks to the supporters of this story! You all are the best!**


	21. An Unclear Journey

**Disclaimer: I don't really own much. Kudos to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Twenty-One: An Unclear Journey

I wanted nothing more to be left alone, but I should have known better than that. I should have known that sooner or later, even as I sat on the large, sharp rock in the middle of the river that someone would come out to try and consol me. Anger churned in my stomach as I splashed my bare feet through the cold, swirling waters underneath. I couldn't help but kick the water hard at the thought of Caspian working behind my back, even if it was for my benefit.

"Rosalie," Emily's soft voice broke my tirade after it felt like eternity of sitting in my own shame.

I merely looked at her through the side of my eye as she inched her way closer, sliding her slippers off before stepping into the chilly river.

"You needn't try to comfort me, Emily," I said to her, a little more bitterly than I had intended," I don't need any comforting."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, tiptoeing her way through the water.

Silence surrounded us as the question floated around. Quite frankly, I didn't know for sure what I wanted.

"Is this all really happening, Emily? Can you at least confirm that much to me?" I asked, trying to hold back my emotions," Am I really sitting here, a newlywed without a clue of where my husband is? Am I really feeling pain of not having him here? Am I really feeling _bitterness_ toward him?"

She inched her way atop of a rock next to mine and swirled her own toes briefly through the dark waters," I can confirm that you are a newly wed missing her other half, but the others I cannot confirm."

I stopped abruptly and looked at her," You doubt what I am feeling right now?"

"If you will excuse me," Emily said to me, her voice strong, yet not overpowering," I believe you are being much too impulsive about this, Rosalie."

"Impulsive?" I asked, raising a brow before releasing a dry laugh," I don't think you understand the pain I have been enduring for months not knowing where my husband is and not knowing what the plan for my life was going to be. You don't know how many nights I would lie awake, wanting nothing more than to hear him say that he had a plan. Never in all of my life have I been more lonely and miserable than these last few months and now I learn that not only was everything planned out from the beginning behind my back; it was all his idea."

I think that Emily had not particularly planned out what she had said, but after I had spoken; she spoke," I have no idea the pain you are experiencing for I have never felt it, but I am asking you something very important, Rosalie," she reached over across the small distance that lie between the two rocks," Please listen to me."

Her hand grabbed my hand and for several moments, I tried not looking directly at her. I tried avoiding her glance, but as she started talking, my eyes drifted over to her," I don't know why Caspian had not told you of all this sooner and I cannot sit her and try to figure out why, but I can tell you one thing. Every time that he speaks of you when you are away, his eyes light up and he is overall a more happy person. You are the love of his life, Rosalie. Any of us could easily tell you that. Cornelius knows all of the story and as much as I would love to sit here and rant about Caspian, I cannot for I know that deep down you really do love him tremendously and he is also my master."

A small smile came to my face after she had spoken," You're too kind, Emily."

She squeezed my hand before whispering, her voice barely audible," I'm sure this wasn't an easy decision for him."

The moonlight shone down on the running water and I tried to think over what I was going to say next. Softly, I squeezed her hand back before dropping her hand. I wrung my own hands nervously as I tried to think of how to explain my emotions. The fact that Emily would come and speak with me made me feel fairly better, but there was still a pinge of resentment sitting deep inside.

Something hit me that I realized I would have to cope with. Until I was able to locate Caspian, which I did not even know was possible, I would never be able to figure out everything for sure. As much as it confused me that he had not spoken to me or informed me, I had to assume that for the moment…he was doing it for my protection. That was going to hard for me to allow to seep in, but I had to make Emily think that I was alright for now. It was illogical for me to think that I could just sit there and sulk my way out of this.

I chuckled after a long moment of silence," I can be so childish sometimes."

Emily smirked while starting to walk toward land once more," Rosalie, you're one of the most brave women I've ever been around. I think we can allow you a slip up every once and awhile."

Reluctantly, I slipped off the rock and allowed my feet to meet the smooth rocks that lay at the bottom of the river bed. The cool waters swirled through my toes and over my feet as I walked toward the land," That's a comfort and I appreciate you coming out here, Emily."

"If it makes you feel any better," she started as I picked up my slippers that I had thrown off before climbing into the river," I probably would have never been able to be as strong as you had my husband disappeared in the way he had."

A smile still lingered on my face as her words sunk in," I pray you never have to experience it."

Then, I realized something else.

Emily, even though I viewed her as just my companion, was a young girl who admired me. Now, granted, I wasn't even twenty years old yet, but having the title of queen seemed to make people watch me more. Those women back home…they looked up to me for some reason. Not even because of my maturity, not because of my looks, but because of my title.

There was a population of people who needed me to find Caspian and find him quick because something told me that trouble lie ahead.

* * *

"Have you any clue where he is?" I asked Cornelius several moments later after some time had passed. I assumed it must have been very early in the morning.

The elderly gentleman sat at the desk in his living area and sipped the hot tea he had just taken off the kettle. Softly blowing on the cup, he looked over at me," I've had one correspondence from him saying where he might have been."

"How long ago was this?" I asked him, taking a seat in one of his rocking chairs.

"Three weeks ago," Cornelius responded, grabbing a map from underneath his desk.

"Three weeks ago? That soon?" I asked incredulously, my eyes widening.

"Think about it, Rosalie," Emily chipped in from her perch," The only person who he would really be able to keep in contact with would be Cornelius. I wouldn't try sending anything to that castle…not after your brother's got such a close eye on the place."

Emily brought up a good point.

"If it makes your feel any better, this is the first time I have received any thing from him and it is not even for me," the elderly gentleman said tenderly, passing a worn partridge to me.

Quickly, I tore apart the thin packaging and took out the delicate, hand-written letter:

_Rosalie,_

_You must forgive me. I know that now you are reading this that you have probably found out everything I have had to do over the last few weeks in order to protect you. I know that you are livid and I know that you probably have no desire to even read this letter. I pray that you will, despite what you are feeling now._

_As you can probably tell, the operation to stop Jacob failed miserably. We were able to fight him all the way and could even see a light at the end of the tunnel once. We were so incredibly close to getting him, but that was just when he pulled out the giants. We had backed him up into the land of the giants and that was when they crushed us._

_I don't know how much longer I will be able to write for they are keeping a close eye on us-_

"Where's the rest of the letter?" I asked almost immediately after finishing.

Cornelius looked surprised," I haven't any idea, that was all that he sent, my lady. Would you mind if I read the letter?"

"Go ahead," I told him, leaning over to pass him the letter.

The elderly gentleman adjusted his spectacles as his eyes scanned over Caspian's rushed handwriting. The whole tone of his letter just didn't sound like him.

"Ah, this confirms my suspicious…" Cornelius mumbled to himself and I studied him intensely. He nodded slowly, looking over his map," I can't be sure by who, but I have a feeling that whenever Jacob brought the giants out; he probably locked up Caspian and Apollo both somewhere far away. As you can see by this letter, it is cut short. He wrote this in quite a hurry and even mentions someone keeping a close eye on them."

"You think they're in giant country? Up north?" I asked, watching him move his fingers slowly over the map.

"That is what my gut tells me, but I can't be sure," he paused, spacing off into thought for awhile.

"This was three weeks ago you said?" I asked again," Do you believe anything could have happened in this time?"

"Possibly, but Jacob would not have had anytime to oversee the moving of the King and his crew," Cornelius said, looking over the map even still," I believe that Jacob made an arrangement for Caspian to be kept away somewhere out of the way. Somewhere he would be sure that there would be no problems.."

Emily and I looked at each other confused as to what was going on through the elderly gentleman's head.

Immediately, a crash could be heard in the woods. Emily scampered to the window and released a shriek. I was soon to follow her, but Cornelius stayed seated at his desk.

Giants. All around the cabin, giants were roaming free through the woods, knocking down trees left and right, plowing their way through the forest as if they owned it. I couldn't help but feel hatred burn once more in the pit of my stomach.

"Cornelius?" Emily asked as the giants threw down another tree," You're sure the boundary is-"

"It's wearing off…they might be able to see us," the man mumbled, barely audible.

"What are we going to-" I started, but it didn't take long for Cornelius to fly up from his seat and grab me by the arm.

He pushed me against one of the walls to where I was looking directly at him," The boundary line that Aslan prepared only is good for one day. As soon as that sun rises in the East, we will be in the open for them to see. Before that can happen, you must set out on another journey. Your main goal is to find Caspian, but I've another task for you as well. En route to giant country, you are going to go through the small village that Jacob was able to manipulate as being controlled by supernatural forces. I want you to figure out everything that he did to that town and how he did it. If you can locate the origin of where he came about all of these men, this sea of men to make his army…then we may be able to bring it down as well."

"The beginning of that sounds like a year's mission in its own," I said, trying to retain all of the information," Locating Caspian could take just as long if not longer. Where am I to even begin-"

"I know all of this doesn't make sense, but in order to stop Jacob we have to know his plans. Penelope is the only one in the castle near him and at the moment, she can't exactly get here to tell us anything," Cornelius rushed to the back of the house, pulling me along with him.

"You musnt' fail, Rosalie," Cornelius whispered harshly to me as he walked into a closet in the back, pulling out numerous nick-knacks and spare blankets, throwing them all into one pack," This was Caspian's plan all along. He knew that something would go array, but he wanted you to be the one to bring down your brother. He is trying his hardest to get out, I know he is, but you must help him along the way."

I looked at him, still trying to understand all of this which was happening," I still don't-"

"I know you don't understand," he said to me, pulling one last loaf of bread into the sack before tying it shut and shoving it into my hands," But Emily is going to be your guide. She knows what to do. If you don't leave here as soon as possible, they may find you and the chances of us ever getting you back out of their clutches may be near impossible. Penelope is trying her hardest at the castle, but I cannot guarantee you any help from there. I may still be able to locate you, but don't count on my word. There are many risks that we are about to take."

"How will you be able to locate me-" I tried, but he kept on talking as another tree came crashing down.

"Emily!" he cried, ignoring my comment and pulling me out of the cabinet and into the living room where she stood, cloak pulled over her scrawny body.

"Is it time?" she asked, her voice calm as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"Yes, you know in which direction you are to take her?" he spewed out quickly, grabbing a compass from his desk and thrusting it into the palm of her hand.

Another tree came tumbling down.

"Of course, just as we said?" she asked, looking at him as the trees falling became even more loud.

"Yes, now Rosalie," Cornelius turned to me again as I took the pack from his frail hands," You mustn't look back. Not after you have left this cottage, do you understand me? The image you may see will not be encouraging."

"Why are you doing this to me, Cornelius?" I finally growled at him as Emily guided me toward the back of the cottage," Why are you making me be a puppet of all of this instead of just-"

"I wish that I could, Rosalie," the elderly gentleman whispered to me," All that I do, I do because I believe it is best for you, but above all…I believe it is best for the country. The new Narnia that is rising from the past is still on the horizon, but it is merely hidden. Hidden out of sight for now, but with your assistance…it shall be brought anew."

A loud crash came booming down on the top of the cottage roof. Soon, a large tree trunk could be seen crashing through, leaving a gaping hole as men rushed the front of the cottage.

"GO!" the old man screamed louder than I ever thought it be possible for him to muster.

Without any time to protest, Emily grabbed my forearm and threw open the back door out of the cottage. She pulled me through the darkness, but not without my struggling as I looked back at the cottage, now being stormed by men. It was difficult to run at such a high pace for such a prolonged period of time, but that was the least of my worries. My eyes saw a cottage that was not only being destroyed by tree trunks and branches, not only being raided by savage men, but being set ablaze by the same men that destroyed _my_ country.

The cottage burned, but the men blocked all the doorways. Standing atop of a ridge, watching as they threw torch after torch upon the little cottage…I could not help but feel a piece of my heart being ripped from my chest. In a mere matter of minutes, the peaceful, home that Cornelius had lived in was a fire pit that appeared to be out of control.

And the sun rose above the tree line in the midst of it all.

Cornelius was right. I should have never looked back…

**Author's Note: I did not intend to take a two or three week hiatus right at the beginning of summer, but that was, unfortunately, the way things turned out. I am going to try my hardest to work on this vigorously and have it finished soon. There are still a lot of loose ends, but I hope that you all will stick around to let me clean it all up and finish this story. I apologize for leaving you all hanging, but I hope you will forgive me! ****:)**


	22. Learning to Cope

**Disclaimer: Anything that doesn't look familiar or you haven't seen/heard of in the movies/books…probably belongs to me, but everything else goes to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Twenty-Two: Learning to Cope

I wanted to fall to my knees and lose control.

I couldn't stand to see my mentor be burned away in a blaze. He deserved a much more proper ceremony than that, but I knew that none would ever be given to him. Not while the tyrant was still over everything. Emily had to drag me from the scene for we would have been an easily visible target now that the sun had risen. My head was still spinning and I was unable to say anything for a long bit of time. Tears fell from her eyes as well which goes without saying that there was very little talking for quite some time...though she would try to spark a conversation once and a while.

I was numb from head to toe. All of this was proving to be too much for me. Somewhere out there, my husband was trapped by something. Somewhere out there was the plot behind Jacob's key to success. Somewhere out there…a new Narnia lay hidden...maybe.

But why did I care now? Why should I have pressed on?

I had no idea what I was doing. Emily seemed to have more knowledge of it than I did, but even at that…was it really even worth it? How many days would we spend searching for something that we had barely any knowledge of? How much more time would I have to spend…in confusion?

How many more questions need I ask until I finally received an answer?

Days or perhaps even weeks seemed to go by in silence as I followed Emily through the narrow trails, bubbling streams, and steep cliffs... seeing parts of the country that I had never seen before, but I don't think that I cared much. With the passing of every tree, it was just another tree. Nothing more. I had almost forgotten the whole purpose of our journey. I could sense that she was aggravated with me and it seemed as though everything she had said to me the days before hadn't even mattered.

"We're about a day and a half away from the town where Jacob started all of this," Emily said to me as we climbed another ridge, I could not have guessed how many days had passed since Cornelius's death.

I had heard her, but I had no intention of giving her much of an answer," Wonderful," I replied simply, trying to ignore the steady rainfall that was falling from the thick clouds above.

A sigh released from her lips as she listened to my sulking once more. I can't say that I blamed her. She deserved every right to be upset with me, but I couldn't pull myself to be any other emotion. I know that she respected me, but I was still only a kid. I may have been queen, but I still had a right to mourn like any one else...or at least...that's what I told myself.

"Rosalie, I tried being nice the first time, but it's obviously not going to work this time," Emily said, obviously frustrated as she stopped in her tracks.

She turned and looked directly at me, her face looking as though I had just attacked her. She folded her arms over her chest and looked me up and down," This resembles the Rosalie I saw a while ago, who sat on the rocks and sulked about how her life was crumbling to pieces."

I looked at her through my hood and glared," Give me some time."

"I've given you many days!" she exclaimed, flailing her arms about," Do you even understand how important you are to this operation? Caspian wants you because-"

I rolled my eyes," Do we really have to have this conversation in the pouring rain?"

She exploded at me," Yes! Yes we do! In fact, maybe that will actually put a little fire under your bum to make you talk to me and give me some of your input! You realize that for as long as you act like this, the longer we have to wait until we can put our life back together?"

Suddenly, I felt anger boiling inside me as she tried to speak again, but I erupted," That's what everyone keeps on saying! Even Cornelius and you know where that got him! Everyone thinks that my life is going to be normal sometime, but I don't think that's even possible! Don't try to feed me those lies, Emily. I've become much to immune to them by now," I tried to press onward, but she grabbed me by the arm.

"In training to become a servant, we are taught never to give much opinion, but when you came along; you told me to express everything with you. I don't know if you remember that or not, but you always told me to do that and I'm about to do it," she growled at me, a sort of face I had never seen on her before.

I looked at her, very uninterested as she started her tirade," You're the Queen, but not only that, you've been royalty since you were a little girl. All your life, I've watched you grow up into a leader of this country and it seems like such a waste that you should have it all thrown out the window now just because one more bad thing happened in your 'awful' life."

Her words stung.

"You think you know me?" I growled back at her, pulling off my hood," You think you have experienced the pain that I have experienced?"

She looked directly at me and said," Maybe not to your extent, but don't you think for a minute that I have not experienced pain. You think that the death of your mother did not affect me? You think that the death of Beck did not directly affect me? You think that Jacob ruining your wedding did not also hurt me? You think that Cornelius, a man who I have looked to as a role model for years, did not hurt me? I would say that you are wrong, Rosalie Sopespian if you think that you're the only one who has experienced pain in the last few years."

I opened my mouth to say something, but merely shook my head. It wasn't worth it. I tried to shake myself free from her, but her grip merely tightened.

"I know you need time, Rosalie, and I wouldn't say anything if I thought all of this was normal, but for you…you bounce back quicker than this," she said a little more gently," This isn't you to stay silent for such a long time. I want to help you because I know that you can make it through this. Let me in, talk to me, tell me what I can do to ease the pain."

I looked directly at her and felt my heart pinge lightly, but I was still cold," I don' t think I can. Not from this," I whispered hoarsely.

She placed both of her hands on my shoulders," Think about it, Rosalie. What if you just stopped now?"

"What do you mean?" I asked her, the rain still dripping from both of our faces.

"Let's say that I left you here to mourn. Eventually someone would find you and turn you into Jacob, don't you think? Don't doubt for a minute that Jacob's men are on our tail hot and heavy. Can you infer what would happen?" she asked me seriously.

I gulped before answering with a shaky voice," They would take me back to him…and lock me away again. Maybe even kill me, I know he's not happy at the moment, but Emily-" I tried to argue, but she was focused on what I said before.

She nodded in agreement," And you know what that means?"

I shook my head, prodding for her to continue.

"Caspian, Apollo and all of those other men are still stuck wherever they may be, Jacob gets the satisfaction of destroying, not only you, but the entire nation of Narnia, the giants will never be set back to their peaceful ways, and most of all, everything that Cornelius ever worked for will have been for nothing. If you're going to do anything, at least do it to make Cornelius smile from the afterlife," she said to me, her voice so tender and loving even when I was being so difficult.

Her words cut me deep once again. I never had realized what an inspiring young woman Emily was until the other night at the river and I completely ignored her words. Thinking over what had happened, she had every right to just abandon me there, but the fact that she wouldn't…showed how much loyalty she really had. I didn't get it at first, but she was right.

Look at me.

I was being such a baby about all of this.

"You're right," I whispered to her," As always."

A smile came to her face," So what are you gonna do? Are you going to let me leave you here to mourn?"

I felt my heart pace quicken and my blood flow move even faster. Slowly, I felt myself defrosting and even though the pressure was becoming too much, I had a country that needed me. This wasn't a matter of just me; it was the matter of all Narnians. If Emily and I didn't get on it, Jacob could get what he wanted.

And that was the last thing I wanted.

This time, I meant it. Even if I wasn't sure of anything...I was at least going to try.

"Let's go," I told her confidently and she beamed through the thunderstorm.

I nodded to her before placing a hand on her shoulder and saying confidently," Thank you and I believe it's time that we move on. Should there be a village that we will reach by the end of the day?"

I walked very quickly and Emily, who seemed rather shocked at my change of attitude answered," Y-yes, there should be a village up ahead."

I smiled at her and said one more time," I really do mean that, Emily. Thank you. All of Narnia thanks you."

She giggled and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear," It was nothing."

We both laughed and continued walking through the trail, with the constant sound of Jacob's men in the distance looking up and down for any sight of us.

* * *

As the day came to an end, we approached a small village that lay nestled in the foothills of the mountains out west. In the previous days, we were lucky enough to find camp in caves in rock structures, but this was the day that we would actually be able to stay in a village. Even if it appeared to be a little farm town with houses that lacked proper roofing or roads that lacked proper care.

"An actual bed sounds rather nice at this point," Emily said as we traveled down the path to the village.

"I have to agree," I told her, watching as men plowed through the fields outside the city, this was most definitely an agricultural city," Now, Emily, how much do you know of this town?"

"The only thing Caspian told me of this town when he was telling me what route to take from Cornelius's cottage was to only stay in it for one night at the local inn. He didn't even tell me a name," she said to me, as several men gave us wary glances from their work," I do remember him mentioning that these people have been quite…distant ever since the scare with the supernatural or whatever. They're basically neighbors to that town."

I nodded my head in understandment," Sounds interesting…I'm sure the people are quite the characters."

Just as I said that, a woman with a goat pulling a trolley came passing by us from the town below. It appeared as though all of her belongings were packed away in the back and she seemed to be humming some sort of mantra to herself. As she passed, I tried speaking to her," Ma'am, are you-"

She looked at me, but continued humming to herself and pressing forward. I looked at Emily in bafflement, but tried not to pay much attention to it. Before I knew it, we were standing at the gates of the small village and walking through to see that the rest of the small, bleak town was not so different from the woman exiting the town.

"Lead the way to the inn," I said to Emily quietly while we strolled through the city and I cautiously pulled my hood back over my face.

She nodded and walked in front of me while I continued to scan the city…looking for nothing in particular, but rather just looking around to get a better view on the town. All of the men, women, children appeared to be in some sort of a trance for none of them seemed to be showing any expression. I found it rather odd, but tried to ignore it for the time being as we passed through to the small inn.

The inn was not anything to write home about. The black sign with faded white lettering that hung from the was tilted and about to fall off the building:

_The Ol' Farmhouse_

_Come on in! Stay awhile!_

Emily looked back at me and said with a nod," Here we are for the night."

"Let's see what this place is like," I said with a sigh as she opened the creaking door to the equally creaky floor boards and beaten up walls with all sorts of pictures of farm animals on the inside. I swallowed hard as we made our way to the small, rickety desk that lay at the back of the room.

Near the fireplace to the side, I noticed many men sitting around with all sorts of bottles in their hands, passing around the many colored containers. They seemed to have the only excitement in the entire city for they were loud and boisterous, but it did not surprise me. They all seemed to drunk to realize much of anything other than themselves.

Sitting at the desk appeared to be a boy of no more than seventeen, roughly Emily's age or maybe just a little older than Penelope. He looked up from where he sat, whittling away at some stick, shaving away, one layer at a time.

His dark eyes looked up as I pulled my hood from my head. Emily spoke, but his eyes were glued to me in this very odd, blank stare. His hand was frozen with the knife tight in his grasp as he stared at me. I tried to look anywhere but at him, but it was impossible. Emily tried several times getting him to speak, but it got to the point where we realized it was useless.

"Excuse me?" she tried, waving a hand in front of his face," Hello?"

She stood there for several minutes trying to break this stare down, but he was so intense at looking directly at me that never once did he flinch or even blink, for that matter. I was irked by this boy greatly and started to turn on my heel toward the door as Emily spoke to me.

"C'mon, maybe we just can't stay here tonight…" she mumbled to me, done with trying to get him to speak.

As we turned our back to the eccentric boy, I felt something whiz passed my ear. I gulped hard as I watched the object that had flown by my head, a knife enter the wedge of the door, locking it to where we would not be able to exit. Slowly, I turned on my heel and saw the dark headed boy, standing straight up and staring at me…just as he had been.

"Perfect," the boy said darkly with a chuckle.

**Author's Note: This update was much quicker than the last! Haha. Hopefully, I can keep on cranking out the chapters, but we will see. Writer's block may have something to say about that ****J On a different note, thanks to everyone who has stayed committed to this story! It means a lot to me and I hope that you are still continuing to enjoy it. **


	23. Stephen

**Disclaimer: I think that you know what I own. Everything that I don't own, yeah, that goes to C.S. Lewis. I'm not making any money off this.**

Chapter Twenty-Three: Stephen

I swallowed hard and walked forward to where the knife lay wedged between the door and its hinge. The throwing of the knife caused enough of a scene for even the drunkards to look around, yelling all sorts of obscenities.

"The kid's done thrown his knife!"

"'e's never done it before!"

"All he does is whittle away at the thing…what did the lil missy do to 'im?"

I placed my hand on the hilt of the wooden knife and with a hard tug tried pulling it from the door. It was stuck hard as both Emily and I tried with all of our might to loosen the blade from its place in the door. Several moments later, I felt a breath down the back of my neck which sent chills down my spine.

"Move aside, but don't think you're going anywhere," he growled in my ear and both Emily and I moved aside obediently, watching as the young teen slid passed us and with one fluid movement up then downward removed the blade from its place.

A buzz was sent through the drunks as they started to move up from their perches in front of the fire. As if sensing what their next movement was, his eyes shot over to them as he tucked his knife away into his pocket," Stay where you are."

"What's got you so hyped up this evening?" one of them yelled after downing another jug of whatever alcohol lay inside.

Under his dark eyebrows he glared from them to me," Politics," he grumbled, grabbing me by the arm as he walked to the back of the inn.

"Emily, come along," I whispered to her, not wanting to anger the knife boy by fighting against his grasp.

"Not. Her," he told me sternly, stopping dead in his tracks.

"She's coming, whether you like it or not, sir," I told him with probably a little too much pride than I should have.

Swiftly, he grabbed his knife from his pocket and threateningly placed it roughly against my throat," She stays."

"Deal," I gulped and looked at my companion apologetically.

She looked around at the men who were already making all sorts of jokes amongst themselves about their drinking to even bother with her. She nodded at me understanding and made herself comfortable, standing on the opposite side of the room from the men, arms crossed over her chest as she watched me be dragged to the back of the inn by the mysterious boy.

As we left, one of the drunkards yelled," Sounds like Stephen's gonna have some fun tonight!"

With that, this "Stephen" let out a groan as we walked down the narrow, wooden hallway that led to several of the service rooms that held supplies for the small inn. He dragged me to the back of the inn before tossing me into the room that appeared to be where they stored all of the blankets and such.

"Why are you here?" he immediately demanded, hardly giving me any time to think as he shuffled around the room, lighting candles as he went.

"I'm on a mission," I told him honestly," A mission you should be rather grateful for, in fact."

He laughed mockingly at this," That I should be thankful for, huh? I would be much more thankful if you stayed in Telmar and actually did your job!"

I looked at him incredulously," Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he said directly as he lit the last candle then looked straight at me," Ever since those slime balls moved in to take you over it seems as though the only thing you can do is hide and slinker under their 'mighty' control. Give me a break and to think that you were the one Caspian chose to marry."

Anger stirred inside of me and I could, once again, not stand for this," If you are insinuated that I am not fit to run this country, then you can take that up with Caspian, but if I remember correctly had it not been for _both_ my husband and I, this land would still be run by Miraz, if not my father."

"It sure would be a hell of a lot better than it is now," he told me with a smirk," You've a lovely brother, by the way."

"Listen, I'm doing all that I can to keep this country from falling to pieces. If you only understood what it was that I was doing running away-"

"Oh, please, do explain," he interrupted, trying to put on a welcoming face," I don't intend on letting you out of here until you give me one good reason why you're not up there trying to bring down your tyrant of a brother."

I furrowed my brows," You know, I haven't much knowledge on exactly what I am doing out here either, but I'll tell you one thing for sure is that the only reason I didn't stop to be killed by my brother's men was because of Narnians like you who deserve a better life. I'm out here searching for your King, my husband, but not only that I am out here searching for the origins of my brother, Jacob's army. Our only lead as to where he is getting al of his men is that it be where he started all of the supernatural rumors. Above all, I'm out here searching for a new horizon. A new Narnia. The Narnia that we all deserve."

"Said like a true politician," he said with another one of those crooked smirks that seemed a little overly cocky, in my eyes.

"I'm not saying this from the eyes of a politician-"

"You can't help it. You're always going to have a way of making everything sound more dramatic than it is, simply due to the fact that you've been around overdramatic people your entire life and have probably never gotten a chance to experience the real life that we farmers live every day," he said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest as he examined me.

I raised a brow at him," Have you not heard any stories of me and Caspian, boy?"

"You seem mighty young to be calling me boy," he fired back.

"I'll take that as a no," I said, curtly before beginning my tale.

* * *

Emily tried to keep her distance from the men on the other side of the room by busying herself with the photos that were hanging crooked from the rusted nails in the white walls.

As much as she tried to focus on these photos; however, she couldn't seem to keep her mind on that of a black and white cow for much more than two seconds. Seeing as though she would not be hearing from Rosalie for a bit, she saw that the desk the boy that took her occupied was empty; she decided to do some sneaking. She knew that, at some point, she would need to go back and try to figure out what he did with Rosalie, but for now, she had decided she needed to figure out as much about him as she could…without attracting much attention from the men on the other side.

"Oi! Tommy, so tell us a lil bit about the one time…." the men drifted off into story telling and much laughter.

Silently, she maneuvered herself to where she was sitting in the same chair that the boy had been and noticed the many wood shavings lying all over the place.

_This kid must be quite the whittler…_she thought to herself before she started looking through the papers strewn about on top of the desk.

All of the papers seemed to be nothing of importance, they all appeared to be some sort of contract that allowed for citizens to stay in one of the rooms. Some of the rooms would be rented out for many nights, even weeks at a time, while others would only be booked for a single night.

Emily found herself becoming bored with this very quickly and tried to find something a little more nitty-gritty. She opened one of the side drawers and found only more knives.

_Creepy…_she thought once more to herself before continuing on her little search throughout the desk.

Another drawer, more disappointment. The cycle seemed to be repeating itself until she opened the bottom drawer on the right side of the desk. Deep in the back of the drawer lie a letter that seemed to be shredded to pieces. She pulled it out with some struggle as it seemed to stuck to…some sticky substance that she would have rather not felt. Just as she opened the letter to read it; the men yelled to her.

"Sweet'eart!" one of them called, causing her head to shoot up," C'mon over here. Don't want the Stephen to catch ye snooping 'round over there. C'mere we won't 'urt ye none."

Hesitantly, Emily moved to her feet, not wanting to cause a ruckus. She tucked the letter into the pocket of the inside of her cloak. Slowly, she made her way over to the men, knowing the risk she was taking by walking over to them.

"I guess it can't hurt any to meet some fine gentlemen such as yourselves," she said charmingly, trying to stay on their good side.

They ate up her comment with great pleasure and made all sorts of comments.

Awkwardly, she walked into their banter and tried sitting down next to one of them, but before she could even think; one of the drunk men pulled her onto his lap. Emily had never been handled so roughly before in her entire life and even let out a small shriek. All of them laughed hard as the one that had a tight grasp on her waist whispered into her ear," Dontchu worry none, I'll make sure that ye stay nice and safe."

For some reason, the sound of this fat man's voice did not make her feel anymore safe and made her regret ever walking over. Something about a drunk man's promises just wasn't very assuring. While she was walking over, however, she thought that perhaps these men, seeing the vulnerable state they were in, may be able to prove her of some use to figuring out Stephen.

"So, you all come here often?" she asked, feeling the man's hand clasp tighter onto her hip as she tried to ignore it.

"Every day, every night," one of the men, probably middle-aged, told her with a toothless grin.

"So, you must know quite a bit about that Stephen character?" she asked, smiling right back at them.

A roar of laughter erupted from the men as they all said numerous different little comments about the eccentric boy.

"Poor kid's never been the same since the old man passed away," one of the men chuckled, downing another jug of whatever it was they were drinking.

Emily raised a brow at this," How long ago was this?"

"Two, maybe three years ago," the same fellow replied with a burp, his words were very separated and staggered.

"Good for the boy to finally see a woman!" the man clutching onto Emily said, chuckling after every word.

"We were starting to get scared there for a bit that he may be-"

Emily found herself sitting through another one of their little raves as they continued going on about the status of the tall, lean, dark headed Stephen. She couldn't help but feel some sympathy for the boy…if his father really had died.

"What else do you know of him?" she tried after the banter had calmed down briefly.

They all looked at each other in drunk confusion as they thought aloud. After several moments, a younger one finally spoke up," I 'eard 'e knows Jacob Sopespian!"

Silence rang through the room as the name was said.

Emily was suddenly glad that she was in that place, sitting on that man's lap, listening them spill all sorts of secrets that they would never dare sharing sober.

"The Jacob Sopespian?" Emily asked with a raise of her brow," Why do you think that?"

The man hiccupped and burped once or twice before answering," Jacob lived 'ere for quite some time, boys? Remember? He sat 'round 'ere with us and drank his life away. That was when 'e 'ad his gimp leg. He's pretty bitter about that sister of his taking a wacking away at 'im. Wadn't he boys?"

They all agreed in loud chorus. None of them knew that the girl Stephen had taken to the back was Jacob's sister, whom they had, undoubtedly cursed at along with the same Jacob that was ruling the country as they spoke.

"Jacob was a bitter ol' bloke; that be fer sure!" one of them exclaimed," Never 'ave I 'eard o' a boy hatin' 'is sister so much."

"What did Stephen do for Jacob?" Emily asked, before any tirade could be started over Rosalie.

"Stephen was the one who found Jacob out in the wilderness," one of the more sober men told me, he was rather younger," He brought him here and bandaged him up a little. The two seemed to be the best of friends for quite some time. They were inseparable and it was good to see Stephen with a friend who could help him to cope with his father's death."

Emily noticed that this man's word really did seem to be more believable than any of the other ones. As the others made comments over this, being the same loud and boisterous crowd that they were, she zoned in on him; wanting him to tell her more.

"Stephen never really talked to girls or anyone, but after Jacob came along…that changed. The little hotel manager turned into quite the little socialist. He would go out and talk to all the people around town; he was totally different. Then…something happened. No one really knows what, but one night Jacob left, setting half the town on fire as he did. Stephen went back into his little 'no talking' time. That little tirade he just threw was a shock."

It surprised Emily how sober this man, this one little man stuck in the midst of all these men was able to retell this story. She looked at him sincerely and thanked him for his help. With that in mind, she had to inform Rosalie somehow of what was going on with Stephen. Even if he had not been on the best of terms with Jacob as of late, he still was friends with him at one time which made him dangerous.

As the man that clamped on to Emily's tiny frame downed another jug of, what she found out to be whiskey, she tried easing her way out of his fingers. Just as she had released herself, he realized that she was gone and grabbed her by the wrist, throwing down his jug.

"Where do ye think yer goin'?" he grumbled at her while she fought hard to break his grasp.

"I'm not staying here. That's for sure," she replied, looking directly into his clouded eyes.

"Not without givin' me a lil sugar," he grumbled, pulling her back to his lap," C'mere!"

"Emily!" a voice cried from behind and the desperate servant girl looked up to see her friend, Rosalie, exiting the room with Stephen by her side, unharmed," Put her down, now."

The man, startled looked back to see Rosalie yelling at him. Angered, he dropped Emily harshly to the floor and glared to the small, dark headed, tanned skinned girl who appeared to be yelling orders to him," Who are you to tell me what to do, missy?"

"Who am I to tell you?" she returned, crossing her arms as Emily scampered over to her side," I am someone you do not want to anger."

Rosalie knew that even though they would probably not recognize her as their queen, she still needed to lay low.

The big man growled at her, trying to come up with something to say back, but before he could move any closer; Stephen pulled another knife out and pointed it to him.

"You don't want to try anything," he threatened, motioning for the man to sit back down," She's with me and should you do anything to her; I promise you'll regret it."

Emily was quite confused by this change of events. After hearing the story that the man had just told her, she was convinced that this Stephen was probably rotten deep down, but it appeared that Rosalie had convinced him to trust her…the servant girl questioned her judgment.

Slowly, the large man took his seat and began grumbling about how some people "took things too seriously". Emily was relieved to be out of his clutches and looked to Rosalie with a sigh.

"Stephen's going to get us a place to stay tonight," Rosalie told her with a smile as the same, cold boy that had taken Rosalie away the first time was now grinning and being…friendly?

"Rosalie-" Emily started to question, but the young queen merely shook it off.

"Don't worry, I've talked it out with him," she assured her servant, but Emily tried once more.

"We need to talk," Emily told her seriously, her eyes wide.

Rosalie titled her head at Emily and chuckled," I assure you, we're safe now…but whatever you say. As soon as he gives us the key."

As if on cue, Stephen handed Rosalie a small, golden key and then whispered to her huskily," We'll leave early tomorrow."

"Right," Rosalie said with a nod before grabbing the key and leading Emily up the stairs, to the room that Stephen had earlier directed her to.

Walking up the creaky stairs did not give Emily any comfort, for as she looked back down the stairs, she saw Stephen sitting at his desk, whittling away once more and the men drinking even more than before. She assumed they would be passed out all over the floor the next morning, but Emily didn't know how long she wanted to stay there.

Something was most definitely amiss.

**Author's Note: So, what do you think of Stephen? Is he good or bad? Let me know, drop a review! ****:)**


	24. Mixed Emotions

**Disclaimer: Yeah, it's pretty much all C.S. Lewis's. Except for Rosalie and others. They're mine.**

Chapter Twenty-Four: Mixed Emotions

"Rosalie," Emily said to me tentatively as I sauntered into the creaky room in the inn, trying to located any of the oil lamps in the room. I found myself running into several pieces of furniture in the dark room before finding a lamp, burning low and turned it up to where we could at least see one another.

"We couldn't have been any more lucky!" I exclaimed, plopping down on one of the raggedy beds.

Emily looked at me, raising a brow," That's…unexpected…what makes you say that?"

"Stephen knows where Caspian is, Emily!" I exclaimed again, wanting her to share my joy, but the face that she made as she looked at me was pure apprehension.

"Really?" she asked me, not showing the same joy that I had felt as I sat in front of Stephen, explaining myself and my actions.

To my surprise, the boy that appeared to be so cold and sheltered toward anything I had to say started to warm up to me quickly after I sorted out some of his confusion. In that short period, he questioned me harshly, but I was able to convince him that I was not a complete cowardly queen who only found comfort in hiding from her brother. He believed everything, which surprised me greatly and after I told him what I was about…he opened up about himself. It was comparable to a miracle, really.

He claimed to not know much about my brother or any of that nonsense, but he did have an encounter with Caspian and Apollo after they had been attacked by Jacob. Jacob's men had dragged them through the town. Stephen had recognized the king briefly and followed them a little ways out of the town. The men stopped soon and Stephen had been able to sneak up and listen to their conversation.

"Taking us to Giant country is just what Jacob wants!" I told her expressively, still hoping to get a response out of her," Stephen says that he heard Jacob's men talking and that really they're taking Caspian to the mountains, near where the first supernatural event or whatever, happened."

"That's…great," she said, falling against her bed, staring at the ceiling. Still hesitating.

I let out a sigh before I delved into anymore information with her," Shouldn't you be happy? Emily, this is one step closer we are to getting all of this figured-"

"It'd be great, Rosalie," she said with a sigh of her own," If we knew we could trust him."

There was a silence and I knew her point, but this was this_ only_ lead we had. Cornelius wanted us to find information and Stephen was possibly the closest thing we had to any evidence.

"I know, I know, but hear me out. Cornelius wanted us to figure this out, Emily. By having Stephen lead us out to the mountains, he heard all of this, then we could easily find not only my husband, but we could also start planning our raid on the castle and get life back to normal…come on…you're the one who-"

"Yeah, yeah, that all sounds great, Rosalie," she interrupted me in a manner that was very unlike her," It's just that I heard something…different about him is all."

I furrowed my brow at her, just what could she have discovered in the time that I had been speaking with the teenage boy?

I crossed my arms over my chest," Explain."

She sat herself up with a groan and said," I think he knows more than what he's telling you. I was able to take a peak through some of his stuff lying around his desk and then the men, there was a semi-sober one in the group, they told me that he and Jacob were good friends. All of this happened while you were being interrogated."

"How is that even possible?" I asked her, thinking that she was the one who was crazy now," About he and Jacob being friends? It doesn't surprise me you being a little snoop, but the other does. Greatly, actually."

"You ever wonder who found Jacob? If I remember you telling me correctly, you took a pretty good chunk out of his leg that one day before you and Caspian took down your father," Emily asked me, the memory flashed back in my head," Jacob must have wandered for a long time, but the men told me that Jacob somehow managed to end up over here. Stephen, who just so happened to be wandering around in the woods, found him and brought him back here."

"One of the men in that group told you this?" I asked, taking advantage of the pause she had," They sounded pretty drunk."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed," He was sober!"

"Still, I don't know if they're the most believable-"

"Let me finish!" she exclaimed, and I was silent," Stephen and Jacob were good friends, Rosalie. They were 'inseparable'. Supposedly, Stephen was always really quiet, but after Jacob came around…he turned into a social butterfly. Everyone loved the two of them and no one suspected that Jacob was the Jacob whom you wanted dead; he was much too good. The weird part about the whole story is that something happened between the two of them. If you look out around the city, there's still some scorch marks from when Jacob made his dramatic exit. He set half the town on fire and as soon as he left; Stephen went back to being the closed up person he always is. The men claimed that his little knife-throwing incident is weird for him…he never moves from that desk…whittling away at his knives."

This was definitely something that needed to be considered, but as the moon rose higher in the sky; I found it harder to keep my eyes open. Her story was something that we needed to confront Stephen with…but I was sure that it was time to sleep at the time. We could solve all of this as soon as morning came about. Not that I would have ever told her, but I was dozing in and out of her story. I was mostly just excited that we had Stephen to help us, but, I know, bad me, I wasn't being the best listener.

"Emily, I think this story needs to be taken note of. Let's figure it out at sun-up, okay?" I told her gently, and for a moment it appeared as though she was going to protest, but seconds later she smiled.

"I agree," she yawned," It's been a long day…"

* * *

Emily couldn't seem to make herself fall asleep half as easy as Rosalie had been able to. She knew that a lot of things had to be going on with Rosalie, mentally, that was, but she still just couldn't pull herself to go to sleep with all of this information. Silently, after hours of fidgeting, she slipped out from under the wool covers, not nearly as nice as the castle's, and grabbed her from cloak from the hook on the door, the note that she had taken from Stephen's desk.

Watching to make sure that Rosalie was sleeping still, she climbed into the small wash room, thankful no one from the other room had been in (the washrooms were shared) there. She found the lamp in the room and turned it up to be able to see the writing on the crumpled letter. As Rosalie had sat there, she desperately wanted to know what the note that Stephen had written was. Potentially, this letter could tell her everything she needed to know.

Quickly, she unfolded it and scanned over the first line of the delicate paper.

_Jacob-_

Promising start.

_You have requested my assistance in a task that I do not find myself worthy of doing. You have told me numerous times of the hate for your sister, Rosalie and had she been some wench of no worth; I would have helped you. However, when I discovered that this Rosalie was the same Rosalie that is soon to be the Queen of Narnia, I knew I was not willing to take the same risk that you were willing to take._

_Have you ever thought it through? What would happen should you succeed in killing Rosalie? You would be the most hated man in all of Narnia making you the most wanted. Never would Caspian stop until he found you. Jacob, you are much too good of a person to go throwing your life away just in some revenge. Your plot to become King is ridiculous.  
_

_I know that you will probably never listen to me and that your mind is already set. I also know that you will not be alone in the killing of the Queen. You asked me to help form an army for you, and I told you exactly where to start. Know that, Jacob, you cannot hide behind that army. Your army will be no where near as skilled as that of the royal army and I do not suggest you use them to raid the castle until you are completely confident in them._

_With all that being said, I want you to know that I will not stop recruiting for your army. I support you in this effort, but cannot be held accountable for the death of the Queen or King. I know you are bitter and I know you have much hate toward her…but think it over…please._

_-Stephen_

_P.S. Even though the town was scarred from your last exit, if you need a refuge…the inn is always open to you._

Emily's jaw dropped open, staring blankly at the ceiling for several moments. She was right…Stephen had known Jacob! This note proved it and more. Stephen appeared to be working for Jacob, but…he didn't want to get caught. He couldn't pull himself to take the risk that Jacob was taking, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to aid the cause…he could very well lead them into a trap!

There was no way she was going to be able to go to sleep now.

What was she going to do? Wake Rosalie? She had to, didn't she?

Carefully, she folded the paper back up and turned the oil lamp back down. Just as she exited the wash room, a knocking could be heard at the door. It wasn't a soft knocking, but a loud, wake-up-the-whole-inn knock. Rosalie could be heard stirring and asked groggily," Emily? What is it?"

Emily could tell that she was still very drowsily so she told her calmly," Don't worry about it, Rosalie. I'll handle it."

As far as Rosalie knew, the whole scene was merely a part of a dream and Emily heard nothing more from her as the Queen could be heard making herself comfortable again in the bed.

Her heart was beating quicker than she had ever felt it beat before. It could have been anyone at the door, but she had a bad feeling she knew…

Slowly, she creaked the door open, but before she saw who it was, she realized the note was still in her hand. Looking around, she realized her cloak was not accessible, but she had to hide it somehow. Finding no other choice, she pressed the note down the front of her night dress.

Turning her attention back to the door, she proceeded to open it all the way to see a shadowy figure standing there, lantern in hand.

"Who-?" she started, but the figure grabbed her roughly with one arm and pulled her out to the hallway.

Before she could scream, that same hand covered her mouth, forcing her close to the chest of the man taking her captive.

"Don't speak," he growled into her ear and directed the struggling, girl down the hall. She thought that maybe she could weasel her way out of his one arm, but that one arm, pinning her against his chest was strong and muscular; there was no way she would escape his grasp.

As they came into the lobby of the inn, there was some more light as he forced her back over to the same chairs that the drunken men had sat in earlier. In the light of the fire, she could easily make out Stephen's face as her capturer. This wasn't much of a surprise.

"You're just the person I wanted to talk to," he said with a small smirk, almost as if nothing had ever happened.

She scowled at him from where she sat and crossed her arms," What do you want with me? I don't even know you."

"I bet we know each other a little better than you claim to," he said, smiling still and Emily couldn't help but make a small mental note of how charming this kid really was, but she couldn't let him see that.

Her eyes looked him up and down, innocently," What are you talking about?"

The fire flickered as he leaned forward and put his hand out across from her," Give me the letter."

"Letter?" Emily tried to cover it up, but Stephen merely shook his head; he wasn't going for it.

"You're the only one. I'm sure your little queenie told you to scope me out as she was back there talking to me, but you're caught now so you may as well give it to me now," he told her directly and Emily sighed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said stubbornly and he merely took that as an invitation to move closer to her. Quickly, he came to the seat she sat on and was face to face with her.

"None of the drunkards would dare touch my belongings, you either took my letter or you saw who did it. Help this guy out a little bit," he growled in her ear, his breath sending chill bumps down her spine.

She flinched away from him briefly and noticed that he appeared to not have a weapon on him, she looked back at him directly in the eye," How could you lie to her?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, acting confused and somewhat taken back.

"Suppose I saw this letter," she replied smartly," Suppose I saw your little alliance with Rosalie's brother. I know you're friends with him or used to be or whatever, but the point being that you lied to her in that room back there."

A smile grew on his face, a very cute…very charming crooked smile, Emily pushed that thought out of her head and tried to stay focused as he spoke," I knew it was you."

"Answer a couple questions and I'll give you your much desired letter back," she spat with a confidence that she didn't know she had.

Stephen adjusted himself on the seat next to her as she tried to push herself as far to the other side of the seat as possible; it still seemed they had to be touching in one way or another.

"You're a lot like the little queenie, you know that?" he said with a teasing smile," Demanding…a little hostile."

"I'm not hostile," Emily barked back," I'm just-"

"Hostile," Stephen teased as Emily slunkered into the seat," I'm joking, trying to lighten the mood. Ask your questions or whatever."

There was a silence as Emily stared into the fire…thinking over her first question.

"You really knew Jacob?" she asked him hesitantly.

"I did," he replied simply with a nod of the head.

"You told Rosalie you didn't," she backtracked, raising an eyebrow, trying to catch him in his lie again.

He let out a sigh before putting his arm over the back of the chair," She technically didn't ask that question. She technically only asked what I knew of Jacob and as of now, I don't know much about him. So…I didn't lie."

"You're...sneaky," Emily accused, looking directly into his dark eyes," And I have a feeling you're not telling me everything."

"To be frank, I don't think I know you quite well enough to tell you everything," he replied smugly, looking directly at her," Maybe, if you give me my letter back, I'll tell you more."

Emily eyed him, suspiciously. Deep inside, she felt something…odd toward this Stephen. This oddness was telling her to give the letter back to him, but another part was telling her to try and pry for more information before she did so. As she sat with him intensely staring at her, she considered both options.

**Author's Note: Soo, has your opinions of Stephen changed any? Also, what's your opinion of Emily? Is there a little crush between him and Emily? Hmm.. Let me hear your thoughts/concerns! I hope ya'll are still enjoying the story and I've still got plenty of curve balls up my sleeve :) Thank you everyone who have stayed dedicated to this story; I really appreciate it.  
**

**Oh and by the way, I just opened a FictionPress account for any of you who ever go on that site. I just published a mystery story (always wanted to write one) that I'm planning on doing on the side. I'm under the same pen name sooo check it out! It's not doing so hot now, but I reckon you guys might have an interest in it. Sorry, not story related whatsoever, but just thought I'd let you know. :D**


	25. Silent Travels and a NotSoGhostly Town

Chapter Twenty-Five: Silent Travels and a Not-So-Ghostly Town

Instantly, Stephen's head shot up as he heard footsteps and a quiet voice coming down the stairway. He looked over to see what was going on before looking cautiously at Emily, who looked at him with a very uninterested expression on her face.

"Don't-" he started to warn, but she cut him off by raising her hand up.

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him as she looked away, allowing him to saunter over to the woman coming down the stairs, appearing to be one of the only other guests in the inn.

While he was distracted, Emily quickly slouched down in the chair, her back to them and snatched the letter out of the front of her dress. She looked down at it and rubbed her finger over the wrinkled paper as she thought to herself.

What game was he trying to play on her? Before, he had been so cold and unopened toward her, but now here he was…trying to be charming. There was most definitely a dark side to him and she assumed that the second side was only an act, but still..he had to be covering up something if he's trying out two different persona. She looked over her shoulder and watched as Stephen helped the woman with a large smile on his face. How odd. Before he got his little letter back, he was going to answer to her. Stealthily, she slid the letter under her thigh and watched him intently as he came back after assisting the woman. He was some little two-face...that was for certain.

" Sorry for that little interruption," he said semi-pleasantly, but still with dark undertones to his voice," Now, where were we-?"

"Listen, I don't know why you're doing this whole nice guy act now...okay? I know that you've been in this no-talking, depression thing ever since Jacob left. Ever since Rosalie and I got here, you've been a lot more chipper; explain yourself and I'll give you your letter," Emily replied with a little more snap than she originally intended.

He looked at her blankly before releasing a sigh and putting his head in his hands," You're not making this easy."

"And you're not any closer to getting your letter," she snapped, examining him closely.

Immediately, he shot up, pulling a knife from his pocket and pointing it directly at her neck," I wanted to give you a chance to see a better side of me, but you obviously don't appreciate it. Now, you can keep giving me this crap and risk the coincidence or you can take the letter out from under your leg and give it back to me. Unharmed."

She stared directly at the knife and swallowed, realizing she had pushed his limits too far. One thought that passed through her mind was how he knew where the letter was…but she was too scared to test him again. Slowly, she moved her hand down under her thigh, never taking her eyes off the blade.

"Good girl," he complimented darkly, putting his hand out," Now hand it over."

Her eyes glanced down at the letter one last time before meeting his mysterious eyes and handing the crumpled paper to him with a shaky hand.

"Should teach you not to go snooping around people's things," he growled at her, snatching it roughly from her hand and tucking it into his pocket, along with the knife," Now, I'll see you bright and early for our little trek."

She shook her head in disgust at him," This discussion isn't over. That letter-"

"Isn't going to be brought up again," he snapped," Especially not to the queenie."

As badly as Emily wanted to argue with him, she simply nodded her head to him and excused herself from his presence. Before she could leave, he called after her," Nice meeting you!"

She let out a groan of disgust and left him alone, whittling away once more at his knife with a smirk on his face.

* * *

"Emily?" I groaned early that next morning as I felt a blast of sun hit me square in the face from the window as the small servant girl pulled away the drapes.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, in a much different manner than when she had gone to bed that night," I hope you're ready for some more traveling today!"

I tried pushing my head underneath the straw pillow, but found that it strained my already-craned neck even more. Not wanting to fight the inevitable, I pulled the itchy covers off of my body and released a big yawn.

"It's like my days at the castle all over again," I told her, stifling another yawn," You forcing me up at early hours…"

She chuckled and walked to the door to grab our cloaks," It's for some more important business this time. C'mon, I'm sure our happy guide is awaiting our arrival downstairs."

I looked at her with a raise of my brow, got up from the uncomfortable bed, and grabbed my cloak from her," You still don't sound so sure of him."

She shrugged her shoulders," As long as you trust him, I'll follow your decision."

"Emily-" I tried, but she cut me off with a raise of her hand.

"You're right about him. We're lucky to have him," she said rushed, trying to assure me of her belief in the shady boy," We're running late as it is."

I knew she was hiding something from me, but I couldn't place my hand on just what. It seemed as though she was being rather quick to judge this seemingly trouble boy and I really wanted to know why. However, she was right. Time was running short and if we wanted to reach the town by nightfall; we would need to get a move on. I looked at her questioningly once more before putting my arms through my cloak and exiting the creaky room.

"Just think," Emily said to me, her tone more excited," By tonight, you could be with Caspian!"

That was a nice thought. If Stephen really did know where he was going, then I could have easily been with my husband by this evening…or at least know for sure where he was and why he had been gone for so long. We never really had the time to enjoy being newly wed, perhaps the celebration would be in the near future. That was…after we got our kingdom back.

Emily and I quickly made our way through the hallway and then down the equally creaky stairs. Sitting at his desk, whittling away, as always was Stephen. He wore a black cloak and had a knapsack sitting on the desk as he looked up at us.

"'Bout time," he said blankly as Emily dropped the key on his desk.

He tucked away his whittling and grabbed his sack, throwing it over his back," Are you ready?"

"Of course," I said with a smile, trying to lighten his mood, but he merely looked at me blankly and continued toward the door.

Emily and I looked at each other, curious just as to what we had gotten into.

* * *

I thought that perhaps this Stephen would open up to us as we started on our trek, but I was wrong. He stayed silent the entire way, not even paying attention to Emily or I. Periodically, he would look back to us to make sure we were following, but that was the only indicator anyone would have had to see that we were together as a group.

Hours passed as we traveled over steep ridges and through wide, white capped streams. Birds chirped along the dirt path that we followed, if we were lucky that was. Sometimes, the path was not near as clear as it should have been with tall, thick weeds cursing our path. Obviously, not many people had been out that way as of late. A blue sky followed us as we traveled and stayed with us for the length of the trip, with few clouds floating along here and there. And every once and awhile, we would pass a fellow traveler and only stop for moments to say "hello" and then move along quick not to reveal my identity.

The trip was allowing me to see portions of the country I had never seen before.

We stopped briefly at lunch to eat some of the bread that Cornelius had given us a couple days ago and Stephen was able to find some berries and eat some of his own bread he had packed. Even after a half day of traveling, he never spoke a single word to us. Finally, I decided to break the silence.

"So," I started, as we struggled to get through a muddy bog," Who's taking care of the inn while you're away?"

There was a long period of silence as we sloshed through the deep, almost up to my thighs, mud. He maneuvered his way through the mud and even stopped at the edge to lend me a hand out of it," Careful, it gets deeper there. Come this way," he instructed me and I followed before he pulled me out.

He did the same for Emily, briefly making eye contact with her as she briskly broke it and followed her own way out. I found it odd that she did this, but paid little attention to it.

I thought that my question would be ignored, but he later spoke," One of the lovely men you saw drinking last night offered to run it for awhile. I don't plan on being gone for long, so he can't have much time to destroy the place."

I nodded my head, trying to continue the conversation," I see, is the inn special to you?"

He stopped instantly, as if I had shot him, and slowly looked over his shoulder," Yes. More than you know."

I looked at Emily, who grabbed me by the wrist and whispered in my ear," Don't. Ask. Anymore."

Though I could have figured that out on my own, I nodded and watched the dark fellow mysteriously as he continued forward.

"He has to talk sometime," she whispered as he pressed on," But obviously not now."

He stopped at the top of the ridge ahead and looked back at us, telling us to hurry up without words.

* * *

The rest of the day was relatively easy and as we pressed on, my mind continued to wonder just when we would arrive at the mountains. The sun kept on going farther and farther down which sent my spirits crashing along with it. My faith in our guide was starting to grow weak.

"How much longer do you think it will be?" Emily asked tentatively through the darkness that was forming all around us.

Stephen kept on walking forward, but answered nonetheless," We're coming up on the 'ghost town' here shortly. The one that got everyone so worked up. The mountains are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from this town. We can stay here for the night. I seemed to have miscalculated...I don't come out here much, obviously."

As we climbed the hill, I could see a small town over the top. Unlike the images I had drawn in my head of this town that had been haunted by demons, this town was bustling with people and had plenty of torches burning bright.

"This is the ghost town?" I asked him incredulously, as we waited for Emily atop of the hill," It doesn't-"

"Yeah, they've bounced back pretty quick," Stephen interrupted, looking down at the town," I can't say I have any clue what's going on. To be honest, I thought we would be lucky just to get in one of the abandoned buildings for the night…but it looks like they've got their own inn and everything."

Emily, who was out of breath as she joined us, joined in with broken syllables," O-Oh, what…a…nice…town. Is..this…where we're staying?"

Stephen immediately looked at her and I think a small smile even grew on his face," Yes, it is."

She put a hand on her side as she tried to catch her breath from the strenuous hill," Good…"

We started walking downhill and I couldn't believe my eyes. Never had I thought that this town would be this busy. NEVER. Something was definitely up. I was glad that Stephen had lead us here, but I still didn't completely trust his word. Cornelius had wanted Emily and I to find out what this town was all about…and I had a feeling we were going to get a lot more.

**Author's Note: Alright, so there it is! Not the most exciting chapter, but it's all leading up to something. ****;)**

**Drop a review!**

**Oh and this is a warning in advance, I'm leaving for a mission trip tomorrow and will be gone until July 8th****. I won't have my computer with me or anything so there is going to be another mini "hiatus" on the story. I apologize for this and I really really really am sorry. I want to finish this soo badly because I know ya'll are dying to know how it ends, but this is something that's been scheduled for awhile.**

**Love you all and thanks for your dedication3**

**~TennisQueen12  
**


	26. A Glimpse Into What is to Come

**Disclaimer: I don't own much…hardly anything at all really. It all belongs to C.S. Lewis if it's not from my strange mind.**

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Glimpse Into What Is To Come

Puzzled, we continued down the countryside until our feet were traveling under the soil of the little town. People walked passed us left and right, just as they would have in any other town. I kept my hood pulled over my head as we traveled for fear that someone may recognize me and I may not get as lucky the second time around. Emily traveled close to my side as Jacob led us through the masses of people.

Night time was quickly falling on the town and by the time they had arrived, the moon had been perched high in the sky. There were plenty of things that I intended to get figured out, but my eyes were failing to stay open. I trudged along, but with heavy eyes. The seemingly miniscule town seemed to stretch on forever as it took us to get to the dinky inn on the other side.

As we stood in front of the white, farm-house-looking-building with the words "Country Inn" scribbled on the front, Stephen let out a groan of aggravation.

"Please tell me that my inn doesn't look that ridiculous," he sighed, rubbing his temples as Emily and I watched chickens come scrambling out of the front door.

"Get back here!" a very uncivilized woman screeched as she came running out of the farmhouse, a messy apron and strewn hair, chasing the chickens.

Emily and I eyed the humorous scene before Emily looked back at Stephen and said sincerely," Yours was much better."

He looked at her, while I was still laughing at the scene of the woman chasing the flock of chicken, and smiled. From the corner of my eye, it appeared that she was smiling too. Not that I was any matchmaker of the romantic sort, but she had made him smile. Stephen just wasn't the smiling type and if she could get him to do that…perhaps I was overanalyzing it. It was mostly odd that they were even pretending to communicate with each other, another thing was that I could tell when people didn't like each other and those two definitely didn't start off the best.

"Anyways," I said, shaking the image of the herd of chicken out of my head," Let's check in, shall we?"

It took several moments for the woman to return to the inn and gather together all of her chicken into the back, but after she had she was rather jolly and helped us right away. The whole feel of this inn was much more…quaint than Stephen's. Stephen's inn was much more, well-run, but this one was much less frightening in the sense that the inn-owner didn't have a collection of sharpened knives laying around. She was able to aid us quickly and assist us to our rooms.

Nothing eventful happened that evening, but I remember being able to fall asleep very quickly. Stephen had offered to purchase another room for himself to prevent from any rumors being spread, but I assured him that no one would know of our existence here until possibly that next day. He had made himself comfortable on the floor by the hole in the wall that I assumed was passing as the "window" while Emily made herself comfortable on the opposite side of the tiny straw bed we were given. Whenever they claimed to be a "country" inn; they weren't joking. Even though the sleeping arrangements were harsh, sleep came fast; especially after such a long day of traveling.

* * *

_The sun was shining brightly as I sat in the library in the castle, reading one of the old history books that I hadn't read in__ ages. There was nothing wrong. All was peaceful. Everything seemed to be on pause as I sat there, enjoying life. It had felt as though ages had passed since the last time I was allowed to sit down and read. __After hours of sitting and relaxing, I got up from my perch in the chair and traveled back up the stairs to the second level. Servants passed, greeting me as "your majesty". I felt as though I deserved no such title, but the people would never call me anything other than that. Several moments later, I found myself at the doors to the royal chambers and without hesitation stepped inside._

_The room was so familiar that I hardly put much thought into which direction to turn at certain places. I reached the bedchambers after traveling through Caspian's study and gazed upon our lavish bed briefly before my eyes traveled to the balcony, where my husband stood near the edge._

_Slowly, not wanting to disturb him, I made my way to the balcony and just before I arrived; his head turned in my direction._

"_Rosalie," he whispered softly, opening his arm for me to come closer to him._

_Without hesitating, I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, embracing him tight. I looked at him and noticed that this was an older Caspian than what I had seen last when he had left. Granted, this was not a much older version, but he was still five to ten years older. __I closed my eyes, enthralled in the moment of being back in his arms again. It seemed as though ages had gone since we had been together, though in reality only a matter of weeks had passed. Never did it cease to amaze me how much things could change in a matter of weeks._

"_Caspian," I answered, linking my hand with his._

"_I am proud of you," he whispered in my ear, the feel of his voice sent goosebumps down my spine._

"_You shouldn't be," I answered, looking at him seriously," I have hidden behind the strength of others. Had it not been for them, I would have gotten myself killed long ago."_

_His hand rubbed my arm before he answered," Those things matter little, Rosalie. You know that. You know that one person cannot make it by themselves."_

_I met his eyes," Caspian, I've been spoiled. Whenever we fought back against Miraz, I feel as though I was more willing to stand up and fight. Look at me, ever since you've been gone all I can seem to do is hide behind-"_

"_Rosalie." He said sternly," Stop."_

"_It's true, Caspian. Look at what I stood up for back then. Look at me now." I told him just as sternly._

"_You're on this journey now," he whispered, wrapping his other arm around me as I moved to the edge of the balcony beside him," Bad things happen to everyone Rosalie, but to us…it seems as though they have been much more frequent. I would not expect you to react in any other way."_

"_But-"_

"_Rosalie, you're not invincible. You can't be fighting an adventure every day. What you're on now is just the beginning of what is to come, I can feel it. In no way could you have better reacted to Jacob for he would have killed you on the spot had you done anything else. Your friends were the ones who had to act for you, otherwise I would be one lonely king. That's why you must finish what they could not. You don't know how badly they wanted to join you, but how much they could not."_

_As I felt his arms tight around me, I took a moment to observe my surroundings. It appeared as though this was a Narnia either from the past or future. I could assume that it was from the future since Caspian's appearance was showing some small signs of maturity. I saw in front of me, a town that was still rebuilding. Telmar, obviously, had been through a rough battle for half of the town appeared to be missing. The castle had chunks missing from the outer walls and toward the top of the castle; it was no wonder that an intense battle had occurred. This must have been some sort of vision or premonition._

"_What is this, Caspian?" I asked, after trying to put the pieces together in my head._

_A soft chuckle escaped his lips," This is Telmar, Rosalie. This is your home after the destruction of Jacob."_

_I looked at him, confused once more," But-"_

"_This is what Narnia __**could**__ be," he told me, cutting me off once more," Assuming that you finish your task. Assuming you carry on strong."_

_I was silenced quickly as my eyes returned to the Narnia rebuilding itself._

"_This is the new horizon?" I asked him, watching as men and women both carried supplies to wherever their small cottage lay._

_He nodded," This is what we've been working toward. This is what Aslan told us of just a few years ago. That vision that you and I have developed lay in front of us."_

_The sound of children's laughter from the streets erupted. I watched a herd of small children chase each other down the street, unafraid of anyone harming them. They were free, as they should have been._

"_How is this possible?" I asked, still confused by the sight of it all._

"_I've asked myself the same question many times before, but have concluded that this is the doing of Aslan," he explained to me with a sigh," I have been here many times before, Rosalie."_

"_But it must only be just a dream," I said, still watching with a warmness in my heart as the people worked with a certain merriness to them._

"_It comes to us as what we call a dream." Caspian said, his voice such a comfort to hear," But it is a glimpse into what is to come. A vision, if you will. I thought for the longest time that it was only me whom Aslan was sending this to, but obviously we are now sharing the same vision."_

"_How many other times have you seen this?" I asked gently._

"_I can't say that I know." He told me, his face obviously contemplating what he was to say next," It seems as though I have every night since I've been separated from you."_

_As he said that, there seemed to be a certain pain to his voice. His whole aura was not as happy as he normally was. Even though this was obviously an older Caspian, his whole personality was much less jolly. He seemed happy to see me, but there were still scars deep underneath the surface; I had know him long enough to be able to tell that._

"_It's torturing you, isn't it?" I asked him, looking him straight in the eye," This image is burned into your head, is it not?"_

_After several moments of fighting with himself, he nodded," Yes, Rosalie. And that is why, I don't want you to get discouraged. This is what Narnia needs be. This is what we have dreamed of. Please, stay strong. I'm begging you."_

_The last sentence was a hoarse whisper as I looked up and could almost see a tear forming in his eyes._

"_This is the most painful part." His voice still hoarse and before I could say another word, we were interrupted. It was as if he knew what was happening next, but that was rather silly for me to think because of course he knew what was going to happen next...he had lived this several times before._

"_Mommy?" A small voice asked from behind us._

_I looked at Caspian and could feel tears wanting to explode from my eyes. We had children, or rather, we were going to have children. I placed a hand on Caspian's cheek, trying to reassure him before I turned to see the child that stood in the doorway._

"_Mommy!" The child exclaimed and as soon as my eyes met the little girl's, the tears came spilling from them._

_She had the most beautiful long, dark hair that very thick and traveled down half of her tiny frame as she wobbled over to us. The little girl could be no more than two years old. Everything about her spelled out that she was the offspring of a Telmarine. The child threw herself into my arms and I spun her around. After several seconds, her eyes met my own and I saw large green ones meeting my own. She was so small, so delicate...so lovely. This was a completely different form of love at first sight...though I had never given birth to her yet; she already felt like mine. There was already such a strong bond._

_Caspian came up behind me and tucked a stray hair behind the little girl's ear," She looks just like her mother."_

"_Hi!" Our child exclaimed, a large smile coming to her face before giggling._

"_Hi, sweetheart." I said with a smile, trying to soak her in._

_My eyes didn't want to stop looking at her, trying to take in the fact that I had a daughter…or was going to have a daughter. Soon, I turned my head to Caspian with a much more serious tone," Where are you?"_

_He seemed taken aback," Right-"_

"_No, I mean now," my voice started to crack," I want to see her for real. I want to hold her, but not in a vision. Where are they keeping you? Why did you leave me out in the dark for so long?"_

_His face turned much more solemn," Rosalie, I-"_

_Then, just as suddenly as I had asked him the questions, I saw him start to fade. His face as well as our daughter's started to become disfigured and contorted. I tried throwing my arms out to grab them again, but it was useless for everything was disappearing. Slipping through my fingers. It was as though I was being thrown away from them. Our surroundings started to blur quickly and I could no longer feel my daughters hands grasping onto me. Everything, in just a matter of seconds, was gone._

_I had a mission. The future of Narnia was laying in my hands, but not only that...the life of my daughter lay in my hands and no one was going to stand in the way of that. Ever since I started, I had dragged my feet. Aslan gave me this vision to motivate me, to show me the danger of what will happen if I don't recover. The longer I took to find Caspian, the longer he would be tortured with the same vision I just experienced._

* * *

When I awakened, there was a loud boisterous crowd that could be heard from the streets below. By the looks of the light in the room, it was still either late in the evening or very early in the morning. It was quite hard to even think of drifting back off into sleep, first because of the events of my vision and second because of the loudness. Careful not to awaken Emily, I slid out of bed and traveled over to the window, where I saw that Stephen was standing as well. There were two of us that couldn't sleep.

As if he could sense me before I arrived, he said," Uneasy sleep?"

I rubbed my eyes as I joined him at the window," You could say that. How about you?"

"It's difficult to find sleep when a troupe of drunkards are running around making an absolute ruckus. Though, I should be used to it. I live around a troupe of drunks," he said and I smiled slightly.

My eyes saw a very large group of tipsy men drinking far too many bottles at one time just outside of the tavern that lay across the street. Their behavior was raucous and downright rude as they yelled all sorts of crude words toward the women, who were clearly aggravated with their behavior, but still forced to tend to them. Yelling was not only at the women, but other at one another. Bottles were thrown at passer-bys and anyone who merely looked at the group the wrong way. The sight was quite disturbing.

"That's not right." I said to Stephen, anger building within me at the sight of so many acting so barbarous in Narnia, though it should not have surprised me.

He looked at me," No, it's not. It's not like we can do anything about it without giving ourselves away, though."

My daughter's face came into view in my head again. Before, I was doing this because I had a husband, whom I loved dearly, and country, whom I loved just as dearly, that depended upon me. Now, it was different. I had a daughter who's life depended upon the result of my journey. My actions thus far did not spell out victory; I had drug my feet. It was now or never. Answers lay inside that tavern and I wanted them right at that moment.

"Come on." I told Stephen un-phased," We're getting our answers."

"Now?" he asked incredulously," Are you dense?"

I looked him right in the eye," I have a husband who is missing and who's life may be in danger. In fact, I don't even know if he's still alive. I'm ready to stop searching and start finding. There's a lot of pressure on me right now and since I haven't much of anything better to do; we're going into that tavern and getting answers. Follow my lead."

I decided to leave out the part about having children...he definitely wouldn't understand that. I don't know if I even fully understood at that point.

I didn't keep eye contact long enough to see much of a reaction from him, but the silence that hung afterwards was enough to tell me that he was quite thrown back by my sudden boldness.

"Emily!" I walked to her side of the bed and shook her abruptly," Wake up."

After several seconds, her eyes popped open and she flung herself up at the seriousness of my voice. She was always ready to go, it seemed.

"What do we need to do?" She spat out immediately, looking between Stephen and me with alert.

"We're about to figure all of this out once and for all." I told her seriously and she instantly threw herself out of bed," We're going to the tavern across the street."

"The tavern?" she asked quickly, rubbing her eyes as she steadied herself on the ground," As in the tavern from the ghost stories?"

Both Stephen and I had to chuckle at the sight of her; she had what most people would call "bed head". Emily's brown hair was rather long and almost all of it seemed to be pointed in opposite directions. As I walked over to grab my cloak, still chuckling at the sight of her, Stephen spoke to her.

"You may want to look in a mirror." He said as humbly as he could, trying not to offend.

"What does that mean?" She fired back, looking to me for some sort of answer," I'm just trying to get answers and here you are-"

"Emily, look." I told her, interrupting her tirade on Stephen and merely pointed to the beaten up mirror that lay against the wall.

She let out a horrible gasp and immediately went away at fixing her hair. All sorts of exclamations came from her mouth as she tried to fix her hair with what little supplies we had. Our supplies mostly consisted of her fingers and some lukewarm water left in the wash room. After a couple minutes, we were able to tame her hair, but I'm sure that there were still several knots tucked underneath.

We gathered all of our belongings, as I figured we would not be returning to that little room and then quickly scurried out of the room and to the lady's desk, where the pertinent smell of chickens entered our noses once more. I held my breath as I dropped the key onto her nasty, desk that was falling apart.

"I can't believe she calls this an inn." Stephen grumbled under his breath, looking disgusted.

"Not everyone can have a stunning business like yours." Emily said with some sarcasm as we exited the inn, after dropping some money on the desk as well.

He glared at her, but before she could say anything else; we were already on our way to go outside. I pulled my cloak hood over my head as we entered the rowdy bunch and weaved our way through. Halfway through, someone grabbed me by the arm and my heart started racing; how could anyone have recognized me?

"Why don't you take that hood off and-"

Before he could finish, Stephen had grabbed the man's arm and started to twist it backward," Get out of here."

The man let out a squeal and backed off. I looked up at Stephen through the hood of my cloak and looked at him gratefully. The man didn't argue much and muttered several other expressions about someone being too "serious". We paid little attention to it as we made our way into the tavern.

The inside of the tavern was just as crazy as the outside. Tables were overturned and brawls were breaking out left and right. Stephen and Emily stayed close behind me as I made my way through the mass of people. Periodically, I would look back to check where they were. As one could expect, at times they got lost in the crowd, but it only took a matter of seconds for them to reappear.

Finally, after seemingly forever, we arrived at the bar. Just as we stepped up, one of the men on the left started yelling at one of his buddies. There was one spare seat, but soon they were both tussling on the ground, beating the livings out of the other; leaving three seats at the bar.

I took a seat on the rickety stool, Stephen sat next to me and Emily sat on the end, both of them keeping a close eye on our surroundings.

The bartender came over, a rather large man who was balding. He wiped off the counter in front of us before speaking in his nasal voice," We got one thing, I take it yous a wanting that?"

"What is-" Stephen started, but I cut him off.

"We'll take whatever it is," I said darkly to the man, keeping my hood up.

I looked at Stephen, though he couldn't see my eyes, I was hoping he got the message.

Seconds later, the man came back with three tall, dirty glasses filled with some sort of brown drink. There was something floating in it, but I couldn't place my finger on what it was exactly. The man plopped them down in front of us before stepping away to tend to another new man that stepped in.

"I'm no stranger to alcohol, but this looks disgusting," Stephen grumbled to me and I looked over at the bartender, who was chatting it up with another fellow.

Swiftly, I grabbed my glass and walked over to a man passed out in the corner near us. Checking over my shoulder one last time, I dumped half the glass on the man and watched as he sprung out of his slumber and started yelling all sorts of things. I made my way back over to the bar and replied to Stephen.

"That's one way to take care of it." I said to him, still hearing the man yell in the back.

"A little rude for a woman of your rank?" Stephen asked, pulling the glass up to his mouth, just for one taste.

I shrugged my shoulders," I do what I have to. Plus, it can't hurt him too much."

As soon as the liquid met Stephen's mouth, he started to choke as he swallowed. I watched him gag on the brown liquid, and push the glass away from him," You had the right idea," he said through his coughing.

I smiled under the cloak, but before I could say anything the bartender was back in front of us.

"What's wrong with him?" he grumbled, motioning toward a Stephen who looked like he was going to be sick.

"Don't mind him." I told the man, though I could see out of the side of my eye that both Stephen and Emily were getting up with their full glasses, presumably looking for another passed out drunkard," Looks like you've got quite the establishment here."

The man looked at me strangely for a moment before saying," You look like you ain't from 'round here."

"I'm not, but I've heard a legend or two about this tavern." I replied," Couldn't help but stop by just to see what it's like."

The man laughed as he leaned back against the wall, wiping down a glass with a rag," Ah, so you heard them ghost stories, huh?"

My heart starting racing again. We were on the right track.

"You could say that." I answered, running my finger along the lip of the glass," Needless to say, I was a little surprised when I came to see a bustling business."

The man let out another chuckle as he finished wiping down the glass in his hand and picked up another.

"You want to know what I tell people that come in here giving me that story?" he asked, still smiling.

"Enlighten me."

"I tell them that it's just one of them stories that the big guys in Telmar spread to make everyone scared. As you can see, there's nothing to fear. This town ain't be deserted for quite some time," he said to me, still laughing about the matter.

"Surely there had to be _something _more that happened," I pressed, still with a light tone to my voice to prevent anything from exploding into a big mess.

Suddenly, the door to the tavern was thrown open and men started piling in. The bartender's eyes widened as he watched the men come storming in. It didn't take me long to recognize the men coming into the tavern just by the sound of their voice. After they had come in, all of the drunks seemed to silence. At the back end of the crowd of men, was a face that I would recognize from anywhere. This tavern obviously had more signifcance than the bartender was telling.

The man leading the group of men was no other than General.

Then, I heard the bartender curse under his breath before whispering to me," You're right. There was something that happened before and we're about to relive it."

I looked and saw the scarred-face man stroll down the middle of the crowded room. It would have been much too obvious for me to try and run out now; I wouldn't have made it. However, the bartender grabbed my wrist quickly and said," Since you asked, I'll show you just what happened last time."

My heart froze.

I suddenly felt as though coming to the tavern was a bad idea.

**A/N: Okay, so a lot of important stuff happened in this chapter. I hope you were able to pick up on everything, I did my best to make it clear, but I know that there are probably still thousands of questions. And I feel the need to apologize because I've been gone so much and because I feel like the quality of my writing went down for a couple of the previous chapters. I've been struggling with writer's block on top of all this, but I think that I'm starting to get back on track and will be updating much more frequently over the next couple weeks. Again, thanks to all of you who have stayed dedicated and I appreciate all of your feedback. You all rock :)**


	27. Making Amends

**Disclaimer: I own very little of this story and what I do not own is the property of C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Making Amends

Emily and Stephen both had just watched as General strolled right passed them, his slew of men spilling in all around, making an even bigger mess of the place. Emily and Stephen had just dumped the contents of their tall glass onto two passed out drunks in the back of the tavern, but had hardly much time to even think about making their way back to Rosalie before General had made his grand entrance.

Havoc seemed to be breaking lose all around as the savage men that followed General started yelling and literally tearing apart what little there was in the dinky tavern.

Emily wanted to do something to protect Rosalie, but Stephen could smell trouble and instantaneously grabbed Emily's hand and started pulling her toward the door. All sorts of drunks were filing out of the tavern; in fact, General was encouraging the people to go out of the tavern it seemed. Emily looked at Stephen, wanting to fight and go to Rosalie, but he shook his head.

"It's too dangerous!" He told her through the loudness in the room.

"What are we going to do?" She cried as he started to exit the tavern; she couldn't help but look back to see Rosalie being dragged to the back of the tavern by the strange bar owner. "We can't leave her!"

Reluctantly, Stephen dragged her out of the tavern and was successfully able to pull her around side of the tavern without anyone noticing," We're useless to her right now, Emily. If we try and do anything, that man is going to be all over us. Plus, all of those men look like crazed maniacs and I wouldn't trust any of them with a butter knife…not even to mention the swords they were swinging around in there."

"They could kill her!" Emily argued, trying to wiggle herself out of his grasp.

He only chuckled," She's the Queen of Narnia. Plus, she doesn't seem like the type that's just going to give herself away-"

"You haven't seen her lately. She's been acting-"

"My _point _being that she should be smart enough to buy us some time to try and plan what we're going to do. If they discover her, they won't do anything to her. I can almost guarantee you that her brother will want something to do with the destruction of her," Stephen spoke over Emily's interruptions and by the end; she was listening.

"Now," Stephen spoke a little more gently," We won't be able to do much until morning, which actually isn't too far away now. Let's think this out, okay?"

Emily looked at him blankly and gave him a small nod. He pulled her around the back of the tavern and started toward the forest that surrounded the small town, away from civilization. After traveling a safe distance away from all the ruckus, Stephen dropped his hold on her and tentatively started pulling things out of his sack.

"Don't look at me like that," Emily said to him," You're treating me like I'm a child!"

He rose a brow at her through the dark," I'm making sure you don't run off and try to do something stupid as a child would."

"I-I" she stammered to find a response, but merely only sat down on the dark, dirty ground and crossed her arms over her chest.

He laughed again as he started searching for spare sticks in the ground, going solely off of moonlight, which was easy to come by since there was a full moon out that night. After looking around the bushes, he was able to come by some decent sticks and some dry kindle off spare leaves. In a matter of moments, a small fire was sparking to life.

With a groan, he sat down on the ground next to Emily, watching the little fire spit and spark until it was finally roaring.

Moments of silence passed as Emily stayed cross legged and arms folded over her chest as she stared blankly into the fire. Stephen couldn't help but laugh with a dark undertone at her after several moments.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked him after waiting for him to get over himself.

"Oh nothing," He laughed," You should just catch a glimpse of your face. I think you need to relax a little."

"Relax?" She asked incredulously." You're one to talk Mr. Laid Back. Most of the time your face looked like you just found out your-your cat died or something. Plus, I can't believe we just left her!"

"My cat died?" He asked with a shake of his head, acting as if he hadn't even heard her last sentence. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"J-just don't talk, okay?"

He shook his head and let out a sigh, not saying anything more for quite some time. The only sound that could be heard was the breathing of the other and the distant sound of men yelling from the town several hundred feet behind them over the ridge.

The expression on Emily's face never changed; it was always worried. Always serious.

"You really care about the little queenie, don't you?" Stephen asked, almost in a whisper.

There was something about Stephen that still spelled out trouble, but Emily needed someone to express her feelings to. She took his question as his invitation to start talking again, even though she wasn't exactly happy with him at the moment.

It always surprised Emily when Stephen spoke because he seemed like such an introvert. He seemed like someone that really wouldn't be overly talkative and would mostly keep to himself. It seemed awkward for him to try and start a conversation.

"I do," She answered gently, staring intently into the fire. "She's my master. If I lose her, I may as well lose hope of ever going back to the life I had at the castle."

"You don't seem like a servant to her," Stephen said quietly, looking at Emily. " You both seem like sisters, honestly."

A smirk came to Emily's face as he said that," I think that's what Rosalie wanted as soon as she became Queen. I grew up as her attendant and was able to talk to her some, but as soon as she got back from fighting against Miraz; she was different. She was interested in learning all about the servants and making them feel like people and not just attendants. We're all family up at the castle…or at least used to be family."

Stephen pondered on what he was to say next. He was surprised at how much she had actually said to him. He honestly thought she was going to say something smart or get offended or something, but she didn't. She was actually talking…like a _normal_ person. A bit of him wanted to feel sympathy for her too.

"That's why you're so worried about her? You think that if she's captured or killed then you'll never have the life you used to have?" He questioned, trying to pry deeper into the life of this unusual servant.

She nodded her head vigorously," When Miraz was King, it was awful. We had so many rules and the torture was set so high that we could hardly blink without getting a good lashing. I was merely a baby when the first Caspian, Rosalie's husband's father, was King of Narnia, but my parents say that he was generous as well since he allowed my mother as long a break needed when she had me. Caspian and Rosalie have been just as wonderful as everyone said that his father and mother were."

"You were born into servant hood?" The dark boy asked, not trying to be rude, but obviously very curious as to what her history was.

For the first time, she looked him in the eyes and said," Yes. It's all I've ever known. Rosalie gave me a chance to actually express a personality. Express an opinion. Even with the first Caspian, they were cordial with the servants, but my parents still told me where my place was and that I wasn't to share any opinions with them. And if I was asked my opinion, I was to say what was expected. A positive answer."

"So, I can blame Rosalie for you stealing my property and giving me an extremely hard time?" He teased, but her pleasant expression turned dark quick.

"Too soon?" He asked with a smile, but she still continued to glare. " A simple 'yes' would have sufficed." He said and embarrassedly looked away.

She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle a couple moments later.

"It's okay, Stephen," She laughed, looking at him out of the side of her eye. " That was actually kind of funny."

She continued chuckling for a couple moments before Stephen spoke again, a smile on his face.

He wanted to help Rosalie, but didn't know how they would at the moment. He really didn't think the men would do anything to her, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint how he and Emily would get her out of this situation either. Either way, he couldn't let Emily think he didn't have a plan because it could have crushed her spirit. This wasn't exactly the way he had planned their conversation going, but there wasn't anything he was going to do to stop it. Obviously, this girl was heartbroken and even though he didn't know her...he could at least be semi-cordial, right?

"It's too bad Rosalie had to have Jacob as a brother," Stephen grumbled under his breath, folding his hands, leaning against a stump behind them and placing his crossed hands on his stomach. Memories of Jacob came back to his head and he tried to shake them out, but they kept coming back. Haunting him.

"Why do you say that?" Emily asked him tenderly, seeing this as an opportunity to learn more about Jacob. "He was your friend, right?"

"Because I've never met a more hate-filled person than Jacob Sopespian. If there was anyone that he didn't like, it was most definitely Rosalie. It's bad when someone doesn't like you, but even worse when your family doesn't," He said with a sigh. "And he _used_ to be my friend. I don't know if I can safely call him that anymore."

Emily nodded," The only person that Rosalie has from her family now is her sister, Penelope. She hardly ever experienced love from her father or brother for long."

Secretly, she wanted to know more about what had happened between Jacob and Stephen, but waited for the opportune moment to ask him.

"No mother?" He pried, trying to learn more information about the young queen.

"Died at the hands of her husband, Rosalie's father," Emily answered, her voice cracking a little as she did.

"Ouch," Stephen commented, shaking his head. "How could that-"

"It's better if I only say that her father was willing to do anything to become King," Emily explained, not wanting to tell the entire story. "And her last 'father figure', who was like family to her, died at the hands of Jacob. His name was Cornelius and he was her professor for the entirety of her life."

"Queenie's gone through a lot then," Stephen said, more to himself than Emily.

"That's an understatement," Emily said blankly. "There has been a lot more too. I know that Caspian's really important to her, obviously, and the simple fact that she hasn't seen him in so many months now…it's been emotionally draining on her."

Stephen shook his head, seemingly in disgust," That pig's getting what he wants."

Emily furrowed her brow, taken aback by his comment," What do you mean?"

He ran his fingers through the dirt that they sat on, picked up a handful and slowly allowed it to drop through the spaces in his hand as he contemplated," As you know, I knew Jacob Sopespian rather well and it's just that-I had my suspicions before, but now that you tell me all about him and what he's done to Rosalie…it makes me upset. It also makes me upset to think that I ever supported him."

Emily looked at him with a very puzzled expression on her face. He looked at her, sighed, and realized what he was going to have to do.

"You want the _whole_ story don't you?" He asked, looking at her directly. " You've only seen part of it in that letter."

She nodded her head, eager to learn more.

He swore he wouldn't tell the servant. He told himself that he would tell her nothing more, but there was something in her hurting eyes that made him feel awful for her and the queen. It was as if a piece of his heart was being cracked open and something above him was telling him to tell this servant girl what he knew about Jacob.

To tell her _the truth_.

"It all started a little over a year ago whenever Jacob had just been attacked by Rosalie. I was running my father's inn at the time and I was bitter, to say the least. My father was my idol. I went everywhere with my father and did everything with him because for one, I didn't have much else of a family and two, there weren't many kids in town. I didn't really get to experience him for much of my memorable childhood, but what little time I did spent with him made such an impact on me.

"He died on one of his hunting trips. It was one of his own little getaways I guess that helped him to cope with the death of my mother. I went every once and a while with him, but I could tell that he needed to be alone that time. He needed to think. My mother, she had died in childbirth with me. Apparently, people tell me that they, my parents, were inseparable and loved each other so much. I can't really prove that just simply because I wasn't around, but anyway… when my father died…it was rough on me. I moped around for a good nine years and you could say that I still am. I was eight when my father died and seventeen whenever I found Jacob.

"One of my jobs as owner of the inn is to keep the supplies fresh, so, I was on my way to one of the larger towns to check up on an order that I had placed for fresh eggs or something like that. Point being that something drew my attention away from getting the eggs. I saw something moving in the brambles, went over to see a young man sprawled out, moaning under a bush with a leg that I hardly thought would ever be walk-able again. One of the most gruesome sights I've ever seen…never did I know that was Jacob Sopespian, brother of the newly crowned queen.

"I had one of the men traveling to the town finish up my errand for me and carried this strange, wounded person back to the inn. After using up almost all of my medical supplies, just on his bloodied up, infected, leg, I found that I had made a new friend. He wasn't bitter at first, in fact, I rather liked being around him. His personality was fresh and bright despite the circumstances. He fooled everyone in town to think that he was this outgoing, loving person. Everyone was in awe of how he could be so cheery. It was easy to say that he was a town favorite. He was a way for me to not have to mope around think of my father's death all the time. He was what the town needed, a breath of fresh air.

"It wasn't until roughly a month of using bucket loads of medical salves on his leg to be able to have him put pressure on it again, but whenever he could walk again…I found out some new things about Jacob. I found out that he was royalty and in fact, he was the brother of the queen. No one in town had anything to bother with Rosalie and Caspian, that was...until Jacob came around. His bitterness toward his sister was…so strong. Whenever he spoke about her, it was like he turned into a darker version of himself. Such strong hate. Everyone was starting to turn against her just from listening to him go on about her.

"He explained his side of the story and spoke of how unfair she was. How selfish she was. At the time, I had only heard one side of the story, but it was all I needed. I was convinced that Jacob's way was the _way_. So, we started planning his revenge, while at the same time convincing town folk of how awful the royals were. They thought the world of the both of us and in the process of our planning; he started searching for assassins. At first, he was all for the idea of someone else killing her because he didn't want her blood on his hands. Then, he changed his mind and decided _he_ wanted to kill her, but he needed help. He needed to get her weak and by getting rid of Caspian for a bit; he could do just that. That was when the "ghost stories" were first brought up. It wasn't long before he started speaking with this General character, who was supportive of us. Obviously, this was before Caspian had found him and-"

"Wait, this wasn't the first time you've seen General?" Emily interrupted for the first time in the whole story.

"Oh, no. I've met with General several other times. All those times Caspian thought General was out 'patrolling'. Heh. No way. He was out planning out these 'ghost stories' with Jacob and I. He was planning to overthrow the monarchy just like we were," Stephen answered; however, Emily was still unsure of him. Unsure of how close he used to be with Jacob. She wondered what Rosalie would think of him...

Emily shifted uncomfortably," Oh no…you're not-"

"Calm down," Stephen growled at her. " I may have aided in all of their little scare stories and even aided in the forming of their army, but I couldn't hate them any more now."

"How can I believe that?" Emily asked, raising a brow.

"Emily, if I really was still with Jacob and General, would I have dragged you out of that tavern? Seeing General was the reason why I got you out of there. He may just kill every single person in that tavern with the exception of Rosalie; she's much too valuable to him right now. Plus, you would have never seen that letter to Jacob if I was still on his side," the boy explained, picking up one of his knives out of his sack, setting it down briefly before grabbing his knife and whittling away. " I would have left you back there and rejoined them had I still supported them."

"What-" She was still obviously confused.

Aggravated, he shot her a look and said," I would have actually sent the letter therefore you would have never seen it. It wouldn't be sitting in my desk. You never considered that though because as soon as you read it you assumed that I was in cahoots with him."

"No, I-" She started, but stopped herself abruptly. " Okay, so you're right about that, but what made you change your mind? You said in your letter that you couldn't pull yourself to kill the Queen of Narnia, but I have a feeling that wasn't the entire story. You knew she was Queen when he told you about her."

He sighed and stared into the, now struggling, fire," I was all for the coup at first. Trying to overthrow the monarchy sounded like a dream, but the more I thought about it…the more unrealistic it sounded. The more I thought about it, the less faith I had in this brute, Jacob, that comes out of no where planning to take over all of Narnia and as I said in the letter, I had already told him where to go for his army, that being right here. I started thinking about how much everyone would not only hate him, but also hate _me_. That letter was one of many that I drafted…trying to word it right, but I just never could get it right.

"Not only did the plan seem ridiculous, he wanted to destroy all of these other little towns just to make a scene for us. After he had put together his little army, he wanted to come back and tear apart _my_ hometown. I already had my suspicions, but when he tried to get me to destroy my hometown. I was set over the edge. I told him that he was crazy and that even if his psycho army did manage to kill the queen, they would have to kill the king too otherwise he would never stop searching for them. Caspian would be the number one person trying to hunt us down. I wasn't ready to be an outlaw. The thing that infuriated me most was that the people in that town were like nothing to him. All of us were useless and I'm so thankful that I realized how unvaluable I was to Jacob before I took down the monarchy with him. He would have thrown me out to be destroyed. It didn't seem to affect him much; however, because whenever he started on his little tirade he set my town on fire as he went to attack Telmar for the first time with his...suicide mission."

"You called him your friend in that letter," Emily pointed out.

"Yeah, well I wrote that letter whenever I was still confused. Like I said before, I've written about a dozen of letters and never was able to word it right. Besides that, I would have had no idea as to where I could have sent it to. There was a lot of things that happened between Jacob and I that I wish not to say even to this point because I think by now, you get the jest of the story. He's not my friend and never will be. Espesically, not with that mental army of his."

Stephen spoke with such confidence that Emily truly did believe him. He hadn't shown any signs that would suggest he was lying. Something in her instinct told her to believe the boy. It honestly looked like it pained him to re-tell the events of this story. There were still questions that Emily wanted answers to however.

" _Mental_ army? You've described them as being insane or whatever, but didn't you say that it was you who told Jacob where to find them?" Emily asked with a raise of her brow. "No disrespect intended, but…you said that you told him where to go. You just told me that and you say that in the letter, why would you tell him to get mentally insane troops? And how would you even go about getting them? Plus, you said they were here. You told him to come here? I'm confused, Stephen."

Stephen laughed for a brief moment, his laughter the only sound that could be heard in the silent forest along with the monotonous sound of his knife scraping away another layer of wood from the knife," You remember those ghost stories?"

"Yes, Rosalie told me that spirits came down from the mountains and seemingly wiped out the entire town. Not to mention, what two or three entire troops of Caspian's men? How does that answer my question?" She asked, still intrigued by all of this information he was giving her.

"Those "ghosts" or "spirits" that seemingly killed all of the King's men? They're real. The stories may be fabricated briefly, but the spirits in that are real and they are how I found these "mental" soldiers," He started, looking directly at Emily. "Jacob was serious about finding an army and I was serious about helping him. I started doing my research and after finding some history books, I discovered that the White Witch used to take this land here as one of her many camp grounds. They say that there was still a group of her followers that lived in this area and I told Jacob it was worth looking into. They were never caught and never would be, for they were 'spirits'. These followers would have been our best chance at having someone who would be willing to support us in our mission. Once we got here, we found a bustling town. The same one that you see today. I was thrown aback, but still determined to find these followers for they were described as being spirit-like. With a name like Cruels, we were sure that they would be willing to get the job done for us or at least aid in our quest.

"After some serious interrogation of the tavern owner, he spilled easily. He broke under Jacob's...brutal...interrogation tactics. It took very little time for the man to explain that these spirits were contained to the abandoned camp that lay underneath the town, deep in the ground and away from the bustling town above. Jacob wanted to know just what these Cruels did for the tavern owner told us that anyone who had dared go down there either died or came back 'brainwashed'. This was when Jacob realized that General needed to move his 'patrolling' out West. Since General had the trust of the king by this time, which we found extremely humorous, he moved them out to the town. Afterall, he had to 'patrol' Narnia to make it 'safe'.

"Yes, I told Jacob where to search for an army, but never did I think he would build his army in the manner that he did. Never did I think that the Cruels _really_ were a band of spirits that haunted the undergrounds of that town. I merely thought that the Cruels would join us, but they created our army. They created our totally psychotic army. Jacob liked the sound of this 'brainwashing' and found that the troop of men that General preceeded over would be the perfect experimentals. We were all a little wary of this at first, but it was worth a shot. General ordered the men down to the depths of the underground world where the Cruels waited for them. The men, whose loyalty lay with Caspian, had no idea that they were being lead to the most painful experience of their life. Hearing their screams for the next three days straight was enough to make any sane person sqeamish. On the fourth, we sent the tavern owner down to see what had happened, to see if they were brainwashed.

"A couple moments later, he gave us the okay. The Cruels were seemingly gone, but that didn't mean we weren't still shaking a little as we travelled down the stairs. The screams of those men replayed in my head several times as I tried to seem strong. To Jacob's delight, when we reached the bottom, in front of us stood an entire troop of completely clueless, beaten, savage men who would have believed anything anyone told them. In a matter of hours, Jacob was already building the first of his army."

Emily felt as though she had just been hit hard with a heavy load of information. It took her a couple of moments before she finally said," So, you're telling me that through your research, you discovered that these spirits called Cruels still lingered in one of the White Witch's old campgrounds?"

"Yes," Stephen confirmed with a nod of his head.

"You thought that perhaps the Cruels could be a source of an army?"

"Yes," He nodded again.

"So, curiously, you take Jacob here and are baffled at the sight of a busy town. After questioning the tavern owner, you find out that the Cruels do exist in the campground; it is merely hidden underground?" She asked again, making sure every detail was straight in her head.

"Yes."

"Jacob decides that in an attempt to experiment with just what these spirits can do, he will send the troop of Caspian's men, that General is controlling, down into their territory and find out just how they react?" She asked, her voice careful not to stumble over her words.

"Correct."

"General takes Caspian's soldiers out here, doing 'patrolling', which really isn't even patrolling because he was leading them to be brainwashed, but that didn't matter because Caspian was under the impression that they were just 'protecting' Narnia. Anyways, they, not knowing any different than to follow the orders of their leader, go down into the depths of the ground and experience these spirits or Cruels, rather. You all block the exit and listen to these 'spirits' tear apart these men," Emily paused for a moment and allowed for a gasp, "In theory, Jacob's using Caspian's men against him. Jacob's army is really Caspian's army because all of the troops that Caspian sent out to 'investigate' with General...General sent down to be brainwashed. They had no option than to join Jacob."

"Yes, exactly. And technically, when General said that these troops were being 'killed'...he wasn't really lying. Those men weren't killed physically, but mentally..they will never be the same again. All it took was him to fabricate a couple other details of the story in order to have Caspian and the rest of the council completely fooled that this town out West was possesed by demons. No one would allow the actual king to come out and see for himself and anyone who actually did come out here wouldn't make it very far without being sent down to the Cruels," Stephen explained even further.

Complete and utter shock flooded Emily's thoughts. She was hardly able to think of anything other than what Stephen had just explained to her. All of this was so-genius. It was also a matter of luck. It was luck that Jacob had stumbled upon these "Cruels". It was a matter of bad luck that Caspian had chosen to trust General, of all people. Emily wished that Rosalie was able to hear all of this; there was still so much she was unaware of.

After she was able to completely process all of this information, Emily looked at Stephen again.

"We have to get Rosalie out of there."

**A/N: Any new feelings on Stephen? This chapter was extremely hard for me to plan out and I promise that 'Cruels' are in fact a real creature from Narnia. I didn't make them up. I couldn't find much information on them other than that they are "spirit-like" and a follower of the White Witch. Although, I am kind of adjusting them to fit into my plot since there isn't much to go off of with them. And I promise that if this chapter didn't clear all of it up that the next chapter DEFINITELY will explain EVERYTHING about these Cruels and everything else having to do with the West.**

**On a side note, anyone like Harry Potter? I saw the new movie, which was totally epic, and have thoughts of an HP fanfic in my head. I've read all the books (and am in the process of re-reading the series) and have seen the movies so it would be exciting to start that after I'm done with this, but I'll probably do another poll and see what ya'll think about that. I have a couple other ideas too. :)**

**Thanks for the support guys! Love you lots!**

**~TennisQueen12**


	28. One Step Closer

**Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize, I own, but the rest goes to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Twenty-Eight: One Step Closer

"We don't have to worry about that," Stephen said with a smirk. " The tavern owner trusts me. In fact, Rosalie should be coming up that very hill any moment now."

Emily was absolutely flabbergasted. She had decided that had this boy said that he could make mountains move, then it would happen one way or another. He…he was exactly what they needed to run into. Someone had been watching over them this entire time, making sure that nothing would go wrong. Of course, it wouldn't take much thought for one to figure out who that was…

"When did you plan this out with him?" Emily asked, preparing herself for another long story.

"Well, after I decided to break away from Jacob, the tavern owner joined with me. I don't think that Jacob ever informed General of this for if he had, General probably would have never come back to the tavern. However, all I wanted to inform the owner of tonight was that should anyone try anything…how he was to get the queen out. While you and the queenie were sleeping, I was able to slip out in that small frame of time and speak with my old friend," He explained, still focused on his knife.

The servant girl nodded her head in agreement, but posed another question to Stephen," What if General did know of the tavern owner's betrayal? Could he not have been coming as a sort of revenge?"

Stephen pulled his head up from his whittling and paused, obviously thinking again," I suppose that could be an option as well. The thought never passed my head mostly because I figured General would be much too preoccupied with other business Jacob would be sending him out to do, but yes that is a possibility. Either way, Rosalie should be getting out safely."

Emily was still a little unsure of this. It wasn't as though Stephen was speaking with this tavern owner every day…he could have easily been working with Jacob this entire time and Stephen would have no idea what was going on. Or, General, like she had suggested, was getting his revenge on the tavern owner. Perhaps, he wasn't able to get Rosalie out in time. All the possibilities ran through her head, but Stephen didn't seem very concerned about this.

There was another awkward silence. Every time he spoke, it was so odd. So strange to listen to him ramble on, but as quickly as he started talking, he stopped almost twice as fast. She would never quite understand, but after several more moments in the dead silence passed; she asked another question.

"So, why did you throw that knife at us?" Emily asked. " Just wondering."

Another smile came to his face," There was no way I was going to let you get out of there. I knew that you needed assistance otherwise you would never find little queenie's betrothed."

"Oh, that must mean you know where Caspian is," Emily nodded, trying to follow along. " Why did you not speak at first?"

"I was trying to make sure that you were who I thought you were. There are plenty of descriptions that swim around about how the queen looks and thank Aslan she let down her hood, otherwise the both of you would probably be in giant country as the main course. Humans are quite the delicacy at this time of year. She was just lucky that I wasn't someone else; they probably would have killed her on sight. People out here are a little…bitter with her at the moment. You can thank her brother for that. And I have an idea as to where he may be, I need to make sure it is accurate. The tavern owner will probably tell Rosalie where to go; he's better with names and such."

"Right," she answered, " And, one last question, why do you whittle away at those knives all day? And why do you have such a _large_ collection?"

He was silent again for several seconds before saying," You ask far too many questions, but if you _must_ know…my father taught me how to make knives. It's my one last connection to him. Plus, it provides a strange sort of comfort when crazed maniacs whom you think are your friends go about with completely mental armies and burn down half your town." He seemed to whittle harder as he finished his statement.

She looked at him, watching as he bitterly tore off layer by layer at his knife.

For some reason, the fact that Stephen had so many knives wasn't near as strange anymore. He expressed all of his hate toward Jacob through the knife whittling, but not only that; he was closer with his father. No one would be able to bring Stephen's father back, but he could at least hold on to the small pieces he had of his father in this world. She thought that had Rosalie chosen to express her feelings for her brother through whittling knives, then her collection would be almost ten times the size of Jacobs. Then, Emily decided that she was rather glad Rosalie didn't choose to whittle knives as a way to express her emotions...

"I don't really know why I'm telling you this, but it can't hurt the situation any," Emily started, for she could tell that Stephen still struggled with his loss. She could at least try to relate.

She sighed and then spoke.

"One of Jacob's men killed one of my closest companions before we started this whole expedition. There aren't many people that I can say that I genuinely enjoyed being around, but Beck was definitely one of them that I enjoyed," She said to him, trying not to relive all of the memories she had with the young servant boy. " He was quirky, but we were a team. It was like I lost a part of me when he was gone, but I don't really know why I'm saying all of this…"

She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before finishing," You're not alone in losing people you love, that's all."

Stephen could have said something that would have totally crushed her. In fact, he had opened his mouth to say that very statement, but he stopped himself. He could tell that she really was trying to be a comfort. She looked incredibly nervous and the way she stuttered slightly as she spoke…that touched him in a way that he hadn't felt in a very long time. He tried thinking of someway to reply to that, but before he could ever muster another word, they were interrupted.

Off in the distance, an explosion could be heard and there were even some small trimmers under their feet. Instantly, Stephen and Emily sprung up from their spots in front of the fire, that was really just a bunch of glowing embers now, and looked back down the ridge toward the town. Another "boom" could be heard echoing through the valleys and mountains nearby.

Stephen swore under his breath as he took a look at the tavern, in flames. He hardly even saw a building there anymore; it had been blown to pieces. It wasn't long before General's men were running around setting fire to every building in the small village. The country inn, several other homes, and businesses were set ablaze by the crazed men. Emily could hardly believe that any of it was happening.

"Rosalie," Emily whispered under her breath.

She refused to believe that the Queen of Narnia was now dead, as well.

Stephen was in just as much shock. He looked over at Emily, who was about to fall apart. Just as she was completely breaking down, Stephen grabbed her by the arm and starting pulling her in the opposite direction of the explosive town. She refused at first, but after a second pull; Stephen had control over her. As he turned to pick up his sack from the ground, he noticed that there was a dark figure standing opposite them across the fire.

Quickly, Stephen grabbed his knife from the ground and threateningly waved it at the figure.

"We don't have time for this," the figure said, throwing off its cloak and coughing violently," C'mon! I know where he is and we have to get to him before General blows up all of Narnia!"

A smile came to both Stephen and Emily's face; they looked at each other and then looked at the ever-anxious Rosalie, who was covered in ashes and soot, but was practically half-way through the dark woods by the time Stephen and Emily had allowed the shock to sit in. She was safe. She was there. She was sprinting much faster than what Emily or Stephen could ever dream to in their lives.

"You know where Caspian is?" Emily asked excited, running through the woods as the sun started to poke its head up in the far horizon.

"The tavern owner quickly explained where we are to go, but he said to ask you, Stephen for a better, more full explanation of the situation. I know this all sounds completely mad, but I want to believe him. He seems like-"

"Don't worry, he's reliable and I'm assuming that he's told you to go to the Spring of Revival?" Stephen asked, trying to catch his breath, failing to see how he would keep this pace up for much longer. " I think that was the name..."

"Yes, how did you-" Rosalie tried, but Stephen merely shook his head.

"I can explain," Stephen said, huffing vigorously," But you're going to have to make a quick stop sometime. Whenever you do that, I can explain all of this."

Rosalie nodded her head and after a few more minutes of running through thick brush and trees so wide in length that they literally had to squeeze their way through; she stopped. It was then that Stephen was able to give her a more full explanation of everything that he had given Emily just hours before. He explained how he had originally been one of Jacob's friends, his only friend, after he found him wounded from Rosalie's attack. He explained how after he healed Jacob, he did research on the origins of the White Witch's army and how there was a troop of Cruels that still dwelled underneath the village, undisturbed until they found them. He explained how Jacob was using Caspian's men against him by sending the troops that General was over down into the depths of the earth to be trapped with the Cruels for at least four days at a time. He explained that this was how Jacob was able to provide such a large army in addition to the giants he had found. In order for Caspian to believe him, he made up the portions about the ghosts destroying the town and since no one would prove him wrong; he had his case won. Everything that Stephen had said to Emily, he said to Rosalie, who was equally as shocked as Emily had been just moments before. He explained that he abandoned Jacob before things got bad.

"I can't believe it. Never would I have thought that Jacob would be using our own men _against_ us…it's completely sick, but genius as well. He's always been a rather smart fellow if only he would use that for good and be more understanding. You were smart to get out when you did Stephen," Rosalie said, very quickly of course for they were on a time crunch, which Emily and Stephen didn't completely understand.

For a moment, Rosalie paused and then her eyes became wide once more," We have to get to Caspian and free him quickly. Four days is all we've got."

Before she could sprint off, Emily grabbed her," Hold on, explain to us."

"The owner pulled me aside into one of the beverage storage rooms and explained this all. He talked briefly about what General did the first time, but he never said that they were making armies from what lay underneath the tavern. We have to move quickly, for the owner said that General had come to lock more people away underneath the tavern and if what you say is true…then Jacob's army is going to be a lot larger if we can't get to Caspian and his men soon. We've got four days to save those people and Caspian, going off of what you've told me," The young queen said, her voice quite anxious and wanting to get a move on.

Emily and Stephen looked at each other before looking to Rosalie. They all knew what needed to be done and now that the adrenaline was flowing once more; they sprinted, full-speed to the mountains where the Spring of Revival lay. Stephen had been there before, as a scout with Jacob, and had declared that to be a worthy sight to hold Caspian and his men.

There was one detail that Stephen did not inform Rosalie of. The ones that lived in the Spring of Revival…the guarders of the spring had almost slipped the mind of Stephen.

* * *

Traveling through the forest was difficult, but they hardly understood the meaning of difficult until they reached the mountain trail. It was at this point that Rosalie allowed for Stephen to take the lead. He had been there before so it only seemed to make sense that he lead them. Luckily, Stephen assured them that they would be climbing no mountain and would stay close enough to the ground that it would not become too cold nor rocky. He explained that they were probably holding them in the caves behind the Spring of Revival.

The mountains were quite a sight for the three of them to see and Rosalie had decided that it would hardly even take them one day to reach Caspian. They were going to be early! By her predictions, they would be with Caspian by evening (they had traveled for the entire day) and by bright tomorrow morning, they would be reunited and once and for all ready to take out Jacob. She didn't want to think about much else that could stand in there way; she was much too excited for that.

Stephen continued to assure them that they were close as they climbed and the brisk mountain air seemed to nip at their necks. Emily was lacking behind slightly so Rosalie made sure to keep a close eye on her. Rosalie was quite surprised that Stephen and Emily were not constantly bickering anymore…it was a nice peace to have. She didn't think much of it for she had other things to be concerned about.

* * *

Seconds.

Minutes.

Hours.

Days.

Weeks.

Months.

Possibly years?

Caspian hadn't a clue about how long he had been trapped in the clutches of these creatures. He hadn't a clue what was happening outside of that damned cave that these torturous _things_ were keeping them in. It had been so long since the last time he had seen any of his men, perhaps they had already killed them. That couldn't have been true; however, because their leader reminded him every day of how much her minions were enjoying his men. Either way, it was absolutely horrendous. If that thing touched him one more time, he promised himself that he would kill himself since there was no way he could kill it.

Getting defeated by Jacob was a tremendous downfall. It was the exact opposite of what he wanted to happen, but for some reason..deep down…he knew it would happen. Jacob had to get what he wanted. Caspian wondered how Narnia was holding up under the rule of this dictator. Most of all, he wondered if Rosalie had been able to get out of his grasp. There was hardly a second that went by that Caspian wasn't thinking of Rosalie.

When Jacob defeated the army and took them as prisoner, it was almost as if they were drugged. Caspian was beaten so badly that he hardly understood where he was or what he was doing. They pulled the entire army, or what was left of it, and dragged them off to the most isolated place imaginable, where he was at that moment. The mountains, of course. Caspian remembered seeing several small villages along the way, but they were all fuzzy images. Had anyone asked him very many details about his defeat or capture; he would not have been able to say much.

All he knew was that when his conscious thought returned to him, he was in shackles next to his advisor, Apollo. Both he and the light haired man were kept under a close eye by these "women", who could float about like a spirit, but they also took a human form. Whenever they took their human form, they were some of the most…promiscuous women he had ever seen. Not only were they that, but they were violent as well. Neither of them dared tried to make an escape for they knew that these "women" had a close eye on everything.

It was utterly and completely inappropriate…the types of dancing, the types of torture, the overall atmosphere of them was enough to make any sensible man feel uncomfortable. Apollo informed him several days into their capture that these were some of the last nymphs that lived in Narnia. A much more savage type of nymph, obviously, for they could not control any of their emotions. Caspian remembered having nymphs at he and Rosalie's wedding, but never did he remember them being this _forward._

At first, he thought that since they were woman-like, then they were in fact women. However, he discovered that their hearts were not near as sympathetic as a woman's would be toward them whenever he asked the "lead" nymph to allow he and his men leave. She almost tore him to pieces, but luckily Caspian was able to conceal himself for long enough to allow her to "cool off". It was during this time that he was able to retrieve some paper from one of his men, who just so happened to have some left from when he wrote to his family. It was then that Caspian was able to at least start a letter to Rosalie, though now that he thought back on it; it probably frightened her more than anything simply because he was not able to finish it.

Caspian had to give some credit to Jacob. He would have never imagined that nymphs would be a very intelligent place to keep someone locked away, but Rosalie's older sibling couldn't have picked a better place. Jacob didn't want Caspian interfering and Caspian had to hand it to him; there was no way he would ever be able to interfere. The majority of his time was spent hiding from the vicious nymphs in any sort of hole he could fit himself into. Though it was sick and wrong, Jacob couldn't have picked a better place to lock away someone.

He felt more sympathy for Apollo, who wasn't near as quick most of the time. The poor man had to endure the awful, embarrassing torture that these women made them endure. Caspian could hardly watch for it was so vulgar and wrong. He had been at least lucky enough to not have the constant harass of many different nymphs, but, ironically enough; their "queen" nymph had her eyes set on Caspian. She wouldn't leave him be. Every time that she wanted to see him, it seemed as though she got what she wanted. It took her a matter of seconds to find him, no matter where he was. Caspian wanted to forget everything that she had done to him, but it was hard for every day; he was reminded of how much she "loved" or wanted rather, him. He wanted nothing more than to be with Rosalie, his wife, again. He wanted nothing more than to never see these "women", if that's what you wanted to call them, ever again.

As the days went by, his spirits continually dropped. The lead nymph informed him daily that the rest of his men were being treated well in the other portions of the cavern. She assured him daily that no harm would come to them.

Then the day came that the "disturbances" appeared.

"My King, you are safe here," The ghost-like image purred, he watched as she transformed quickly into her typical human form, a tall, slim woman with pale skin and blond hair," There is no harm that can come to you or your men."

Caspian shifted uncomfortably in the chair he was tied to," We can't stay here forever. I have a country that needs me, surely you can understand that?"

She pranced over to where he sat and started running her fingers along his arms with a sort of rhythm to it," Country schmoontry. You don't need to go anywhere." She growled the last part right in his ear.

"You _can't_ keep us here!" He roared back at her, moving himself in the chair, trying to get out of her grasp.

She screeched and moved directly in front of him, putting an arm on either side of the chair, looking him straight in the eye.

"What's stopping me, your majesty?" She growled back. " I was told to _never_ let you out and to do as I please with you. I made a deal myself and I'm not one to break out on deals."

"Please," He looked her right in the eyes, pleading with her as much as his heart would allow," Please, I've a wife. I've just been married and you're denying-"

"Wife?" The enticing fiend cackled as she moved closer to Caspian," Why, that is one lucky lady. Too bad she'll never see you again. It's the same story _every time_ Caspian, it didn't work before and it won't work now."

"She'll come and when she does-"

"If any other _woman _comes here wanting to take you, then she will have to go through me. She will die. She will _not_ take you from me," She growled, perching herself directly onto Caspian's lap.

"Get off. Now," Caspian growled, struggling more in the binds that she had tied on him.

"I'm rather comfortable," She said with a smirk on her face, adjusting herself on his lap.

Caspian prepared himself for the impact, when suddenly one of the other nymphs came flying through the walls, screeching at the top of her lungs. It caused the queen nymph to jump from Caspian and look at the dark haired nymph as she changed into spirit form.

"My lady, we've spotted some _disturbances_ near the entrance to the cavern," The nymph said, rather nervously.

The queen nymph looked from Caspian to her sister nymph and let out a very prideful "humph", as if she were a child that was not getting a particular toy that she wanted. She crossed her arms and shot Caspian one last look before turning into her ghostly figure and disappearing into the caves.

"Apollo!" Caspian hissed into the dark cave air," Apollo!"

The man came scurrying out from his hiding spot; he was actually able to find one this time, but it wouldn't have mattered much for the queen nymph mostly had interest in Caspian alone.

"I can't handle much more of this," Apollo grumbled as he untied the King's binding.

Caspian rubbed his sore wrists while Apollo worked on the ankle straps," That's what we've been saying for how many months now?" He said with a small smirk on his face.

Apollo was still quite serious," They've never had disturbances before, Caspian."

The young king's smile disappeared as he nodded," I know, I know. I just hope that if it is help…it's not Rosalie. Or at least that she's with plenty of help."

"Why do you say that?" Apollo asked, as he finished the last knot.

"You heard her," Caspian said, referring to the queen nymph. " She said she'll kill her and by the way that _thing_ behaves; I completely believe her. How horrendous would it be for Rosalie to show up here to save us only to be slaughtered? She needs help. She needs to be warned ahead of time."

"Caspian, there's no way that we could possibly-" Apollo said, shaking his head as Caspian rose from the chair.

"Apollo, we've been stuck in this blasted cave for how many months?" Caspian asked, his voice very stern and serious as he looked his assistant directly in the eye.

"I-I don't know, sir," The man stuttered.

"We've been mistreated by these beasts how many times?" He asked again, still stern.

"I-I don't know. Countless."

"We've longed to be with our wives how many times?" He questioned, still very intense.

"A lot."

"I think it's about time we tried to do something rather than just sit around and _think _about doing something. There's a possibility that someone from Narnia is out there trying to help us. We need to at least see who it is," Caspian said, his voice determined to get a look at whoever or whatever this "disturbance" was.

"So, where do we get started?" Apollo asked as they started walking toward one of the tunnels that they supposed lead to the front of the cave where the Spring of Revival lay.

**Author's Note: So, we're finally onto something with Caspian! The nymphs are another creature that I couldn't find much information about in the land of Narnia other than a couple of details, so I weaved a little bit of what I knew about nymphs from Greek mythology into this story. **

**Thanks to the reviewers from last chapter! They made me smile :)**


	29. Never Alone

**Disclaimer: I only own the things you don't recognize. Everything else is from the brilliant C.S. Lewis. Nor am I making any $$ off of this.**

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Never Alone

"Stephen, what was that?" Emily shrieked, something had just flown quickly over our heads. Something that seemed to be ghost-like.

It even threw me for a scare as another something flew between all of us. We got a close enough look at it to know that it was a spirit of some sort, not very unlike Cruels, I would imagine.

I seconded the servant," Yes, what exactly was that?"

Stephen gulped and peered nervously over his shoulder at us," Did I mention that there are, ahem, more spirits that live up here? That might possibly-"

"Stephen," I growled, moving closer to him," Do _not_ tell me that there's going to be a Cruel-infested-"

"Not Cruels!" Stephen defended, looking around nervously still. "It's something else…"

A cackle echoed through the mountain path and though we were not anywhere near being at the top of the mountain, a chill was sent down the back of our necks. Anger was building in me, had that boy and tavern owner led us all the way up here just to be locked away in the mountains with another troop of Cruels…I would lose control. I would _not_ allow him to do that, not now. Had he been working against us this entire time...

Another one swooped down in front of us, cackling even louder than the first echo. It showed its face to us once and I had to take another glance; it was a woman.

"Stephen, I swear that if you're playing some sort of trick-" I accused again, even more baffled now.

"Stop it!" Emily barked, standing up for him. " He wouldn't do that to us, Rosalie."

I looked directly at Emily, baffled that she wasn't taking my side in this. As she came closer, the look on her face was dead serious. She honestly believed that he had done no harm and I think that I did deep down, but at the moment…he was not being viewed in a very pleasant light through my eyes. With a glare on my face, I watched as Stephen continued on awkwardly.

For another few steps in the cool air, we walked in silence, looking all around for any key as to where they could find the Telmarine men. All around, all we could see were walls of rock stacked high to the sky. We seemed so miniscule compared to these massive structures. The sun had already started to set as we entered the mountains and now that we were quite a ways into the trail; the moon was slowly making its ascend into the sky.

All of us seemed to be hearing all sorts of strange noises or perhaps it was merely our imagination. Either way, I believe it would have been safe to say that our minds were playing tricks on us. The visits from these creatures continued the closer we came to this spring.

Once, we had to throw ourselves onto the ground just to simply avoid being hit by the barbaric "woman".

"Are those women?" I asked Stephen, trying to catch my breath from the close call. " Are they really what they appear to be?"

Stephen shook his head," Oh, no. If I remember correctly, they're ridiculous. I don't know what they're called, but they thrive here. Typically they choose some sort of land structure to dwell in and these have chosen the mountains." He paused,"They're the most vulgar things you've ever seen, that is…after they take human form."

"Human form?" Emily asked incredulously; Stephen pulled her from the ground.

"Yes, if I remember correctly then whenever I came here with Jacob; they took human form. They're enticing, very enticing, but extremely vicious, bitter, and most of all _jealous_. We had to stay here for nearly two days the first time we came, just to convince them that all we wanted was strictly for _business_. We got lucky that they actually believed we would give them someone else in exchange for letting us go," Stephen explained to the both of us as we continued onward. " Mostly, they will stay in spirit form unless they have an interest in someone."

"Whenever you say 'interest'-" I started to ask with a raise of my brow.

He looked directly at me as if he knew exactly what I was asking," Yes. They mostly live on those types of desires. Folk say that these creatures are the perfect reason to abstain from those activities frequently. Those types of feelings are…addictive and turned these creatures into completely monsters."

I shuddered with disgust.

"So, how do we go about finding Caspian?" I asked after putting away the disgust. " Can these things be…destroyed?"

Stephen shook his head," I know that they can't when in spirit form. General tried that and it seemed to fail. I don't particularly know about their human form…it would be worth a shot. They can't do much physical damage in their spirit form."

I imagined they could do some fairly severe mental damage; however.

I nodded, keeping that in the back of my head. Mentally, I was preparing myself for whenever we had to face these things one-on-one. In my lifetime, I had only been in combat with humans and maybe a creature or two, but spirits were definitely a new opponent. I really had no idea how we were going to get Caspian out of the caves if we had to face all of these women-ghosts, but I didn't see us having any other option. I would make my move only when she was in human.

"Rosalie," A voice whispered, echoeing through the mountains.

I had been hearing so much in these mountains that I hardly knew what was real and what was just my head. I hardly paid much attention as Stephen informed us that we were just around the corner from where the Spring of Revival was. Up ahead, I noticed that there were the entrances to several caves, but there were still not a sign of any more of these creatures, for the time being.

"Rosalie!" It whispered again, more loudly and with much more panic this time.

Realizing that this could have been more than just a mind game, I looked around, searching for anywhere that this voice could be coming from.

Emily glanced at me with a concerned look on her face," What's wrong, Rosalie?"

"Listen, tell me if you hear anything," I told her, stopping in my tracks.

She looked at me, puzzled as she stood next to me. Stephen stopped several moments later and saw that we were both stopped. Before he could say a word, I put a finger up to my lip to signal him to stay silent. He nodded and stayed as still as possible.

"Over here, Rosalie!" It said, more loudly than a whisper this time. "To your left!"

Whenever the voice spoke, I could have sworn that it was Apollo. The whisper was much more muffled, but I would have bet anything that the voice calling to me was Apollo. Still unsure, I looked tentatively to where the voice was telling me. In the mountain wall, there seemed to be a small hole. I assumed this was where the voice was coming from so I slowly made my way to the hole.

"Rosalie, what if it's a trap?" Emily asked, her voice trembling, but I hardly noticed.

I had to take a chance. Before long, I was crouched down, looking directly into the hole.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice in a soft whisper.

The man placed his face in front of the hole and a smile came to my face. One of the first genuine smiles I had in a very long time; it _was_ Apollo. His light hair was strewn and his face seemed to be bruised here and there. Still, his bright eyes would have been recognizable from a mile away.

"Apollo!" I exclaimed, moving myself closer to the hole. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."

The man chuckled, how nice it sounded to actually hear his voice! Even if it wasn't Caspian, it was someone. It was _someone_ from Narnia.

"And I you," He said with a beaming smile on his face.

Emily came running over after she heard my exclamation. She perched herself next to me and smiled greatly," Hi, Apollo!"

"Hello, Emily," He said cordially, still smiling.

"Where's Caspian?" I stuttered, after many moments of trying to decide just what I wanted to have answered.

It didn't take long for Apollo to silence me. Suddenly, a look of severity came over his face as something crashed in the background. Voices could be heard crying in the distance.

"I don't have much time, but you must get us out of here. Caspian and I tried to make our way to come out to warn you, but the 'queen' nymph found him and pulled him back away. She's got a close eye on him and I don't know if you know this, but these nymphs are particularly-"

"Vulgar," I finished his sentence with a nod of my head.

"Right. You have to get us out, I don't know how, but if you could do it without saying you're his wife or that you want to take him or anyone else away. She's already said that she would kill you should you try and take him from her. Use your words and try to convince them that all you want to do is make a deal."

I had a feeling that would not go over well.

"But, I am going to take him from her. How am I suppose to cover that up?" I asked him, confused by what exactly he wanted me to do.

Another crash could be heard from his side," You have to somehow convince them that you want no harm. The queen's name is Rhiannon, if you use it the more likely she will be generous."

"Apollo, I still am so-"

"I wish I could help you more Rosalie, but it looks like they're onto me now. Caspian and I put our complete faith in you," He spoke so quickly and before he could even bid me a farewell; he was gone.

The most help he had been was being able to give these creatures an official name. They were very barbaric nymphs, who didn't seem to get out of the mountains much and whose queen had a particular liking for Caspian. A pinge of hate ran through me already toward this Rhiannon and I hadn't even seen her yet.

"You know what we have to do right?" Emily asked me, an idea sounded as though it was forming by the tone in her voice.

She was acting as if this was simple.

"What?" I asked, still rather baffled.

"Stephen, come here!" Emily called, a look of excitement forming. "You really don't know, Rosalie?"

I shook my head, curious as to what she had up her sleeve.

Quickly, the boy moved over to us and looked at Emily confused," What?"

"We use _him_," She said to me and I nodded my head in agreement.

* * *

Emily's plan was risky, but it was possibly the only option we had. Since these nymphs were so caught up in men, we could play that game. We could give them a man. We moved closer to the entrance and found that there were several nymphs floating around the entrance to the caverns. We imagined that Stephen, if what they said about nymphs was true, would be able to distract them enough to where Emily and I could slip into the caves. Our plan to get him out was not very well developed, but that was something we would be able to further plan after we were aware of what the layout of the caves were like.

We knew that we would have to be extremely careful, but it was worth a shot. We had not come all this way just to let a bunch of nymphs stand in our way of getting Caspian and what was left of his men back.

One thing that was working to our advantage was that it was now completely dark. Our appearance would have been much more masked in the shadows rather than in the middle of the day.

"I don't like this," Stephen grumbled as we hid behind several rocks in clear view of the entrance before he was to go on his way.

"You don't have much of a choice," I told him seriously.

"What could be so bad about it for you? A bunch of women whose eyes are only set on you," Emily teased, trying to lighten the mood.

I chuckled at her comment, but Stephen merely glared. He started walking forward and called back," These aren't normal women!"

"Good luck!" I called after him, keeping my voice low.

"It was nice knowing you!" Emily said, she thought in a quiet enough voice that he could not hear, but the look on his face as he glared back at us suggested quite the opposite.

All jokes aside, Emily and I were soon watching intently as we crept through the shadows toward the entrance to where the nymphs were gathered. As we followed far behind Stephen, we noticed that just outside the entrance to the cave appeared to be a type of lake. I assumed that this was the Spring of Revival that Stephen and the tavern owner had mentioned before.

My heart felt as though it was going to pound out of my chest as Stephen first came into their sight. At first, they seemed to overlook him, but a second later; they were hooked. I watched in glee as all three of them turned to their human form. I shook my head in disgust at the sight of the three, slim, seemingly glowing women as they placed their hands on Stephen, guiding him farther into the caves. Thus far, our plan had worked.

Emily and I nodded to one another and quickly moved into the cave. There were several torches lit along the walls to guide the paths, but there was still something that seemed creepy about the place.

"Do we split or stay together?" Emily whispered in my ear as we stepped foot into the cave for the first time.

A chill was sent down my back just by being in their dwelling. We needed to find Caspian, Apollo, and their men and get out as soon as possible.

"Let's stay together," I decided before moving quickly down the nearest tunnel that I saw.

We ran together, unseen, for seemingly a long time before we came upon a fork in the path. Breaking through the silence, screams of men could be heard coming from the right. The two of us didn't need to be able to see each other in order to decide which way to go. We sprinted to the right and kept on running until the screams were so close we could feel them.

Emily ran ahead and looked carefully into this very large, open area that the tunnel broke off into.

Granted, the number of men that were in that room were great, but they were no where near as many as Caspian had left with. With that in mind, we were posed with another problem…how _all_ those men were to be broken out. I tried thinking about how in the world we would be able to distract the nymphs that much, but nothing was coming to my head at the moment…we had to move on. The more we saw of this place, the less prepared I felt for how a turn of events would play out.

After moving on for quite some time and several close calls for the nymphs would still be on the lookout, we finally reached the end of the tunnel to find that we had reached a dead end. Frustrated, Emily and I crept our way back and tried again. Hours passed as we hid in the darkness, trying to locate just where Caspian could be and it wasn't until our last go through that we found him. The tunnel that we had found branched off of one of the others that we crossed several times. It was probably the smallest, most difficult tunnel to get through. For the entirety of the time we traveled through the tunnel, we had to slide through sideways. Obviously, no one had traveled through that tunnel in quite some time.

Whenever we came to the end of the tunnel, I saw a sight that enraged me to the point where any conscious thought was erased.

One of the nymphs, Rhiannon, I assumed was circling Caspian, who was bounded to a chair in the middle of the room. I noticed that there was only one other exit to the room, but other than that it was rather cold and dark with the exception of a few torches burning. He was only clad in a white shirt and brown trousers, but it appeared as though the shirt had been through quite the adventure. It had many rips and tears in it as he sat, nervously.

"It seems as though the disturbances were just a faux pas," Rhiannon purred, running her fingers along Caspian's arms, with a sort of rhythm to it. I watched, disgusted as Caspian sat, very stiff and very uncomfortably. "Now, we can pick up where we left off."

She slowly moved herself down to where she was perched happily upon his lap once more, wrapping her arms around his neck as she faced him directly," I can assure you that we won't be interrupted anymore."

A smile moved onto her face, but the anger that was growing in me was much too strong to handle. I started to fly out of the space, but before I could; Emily grabbed me," You can't."

I knew that, but I watched bitterly as this pale, blond, skinny woman ran her hands all along his tanned skin. It was such a relieve to see him alive, but my happiness in seeing him was covered by my disgust in the nymph sitting atop of him, using him for her own sick pleasure. Emily's firm grasp on me never lightened, not once, but at the moment that Rhiannon forced her lips onto my husband's; I broke her grasp and grabbed the knife that she had dangling from her belt.

"Rosalie!" She scolded hoarsely, but I was gone.

She hardly had time to react for I was soon throwing myself from the tiny tunnel and standing right behind her. Watching, as she made her move.

Caspian made eye contact with me and immediately a look of shock and relief came onto his face. I put a single finger up to my lips, signaling him to stay quiet. It was wonderful to see him, but I couldn't be too happy, not yet. Silently, as she forced her lips to his once more, I stood directly behind her. She was much too distracted to notice that Caspian had his eyes wide open and locked on me needless to say that she never expected there to be a knife held to her neck in a matter of seconds.

"Get off of my husband," I growled, not caring if she knew who I was. Not caring to use her name.

With one jerk, I frightened her bad enough to pull her off of him. In one hand I held the slender woman around the neck and with the other I threatened to slice through with the knife I had taken form Emily.

A sick cackle came from her lips," You're the little queenie. How _sweet_," she said, but the last word was anything but "sweet". She spat it rather than said it.

"Emily, come, help Caspian!" I ordered to the servant, who was already popping her tiny frame out from the tight crevice.

Before Emily could even think about helping Caspian, Rhiannon burst out of my grasp and bared her teeth at the servant girl like some sort of barbaric creature would. Emily jumped back briefly as I struggled to get the nymph back into my grasp.

"You will _not_ touch him!" She screamed at Emily, forcing her to take several steps backward. I watched as she started to pounce.

"This isn't her mission, Rhiannon," I stopped her, keeping a steady voice. " I'm the one _taking _him from _you._ He's _my_ husband, not hers."

Slowly, the lanky woman turned on her heel and glared at me. The face that could have been so beautiful looked more hideous than anything I had ever seen as she looked at me with glaring eyes. She started toward me, but I moved away and we started to pace around, looking each other directly in the eyes," You're right."

"My lady! My lady! Rhiannon!" The voices of several other nymphs echoed through the tunnels and I swallowed hard; we weren't alone for long. "The intruders! They're-"

"I KNOW THEY'RE HERE!" Rhiannon screamed as several other outwardly beautiful nymphs came sprinting into the room, in their human form. In their clutches, was Stephen. It appeared as though they had seen through him. He was struggling to get out of their grasp.

"He lied to us," One of the dark haired nymphs growled to her leader, referencing Stephen, "Let us finish him, Rhiannon."

Their blond headed leader seemed to be grinding her teeth, deciding exactly what she wanted done. She turned her attention from me to them and said in one of the most menacing voices I had heard," After I finish _her_."

Her icy blue eyes turned and were set directly in mine.

I gulped.

I should have known that prancing into the nymphs civilization wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.

In an instant I watched as she started running at me, teeth bared. For a moment, I wondered just how she intended on attacking me, but it would have been foolish for me to ponder that for long. I wanted her no where near me, so I did the one thing that came to my mind.

I raised the knife back behind my head, gaining momentum as she ran faster toward me, wishing nothing more than to tear my head off. Within moments, I threw the knife as hard as I could, praying the entire time that it at least nicked her. It was more an act of desperation.

To my surprise, it did much more. The knife jabbed right in the middle of her chest. It took her several moments to realize what had happened and whenever she felt the impact for the first time; a scream louder than any I had heard before echoed throughout the tunnels. Her face in absolute agony as she fell to her knees, blood spilling from her chest as she slowly melted away. In a matter of seconds, she was dead and I was still in awe of the matter.

Emily jumped from her position and started feverishly untying the knots on Caspian's chair, but my eyes were still stuck onto the nymphs who were just s shocked as I. Their attention was no longer on Stephen, who was able to stealthily slip away.

"Rosalie!" Stephen cried from where they were holding him. " Bad idea, they-"

"You killed her," A red-headed nymph stepped forward, snarling at me. Several more followed behind her, looks of absolute despite on their faces. Bitterness set in rather quickly. "Our queen is dead because of you." They spat at me.

I looked around nervously, looking for anything that could have been of more assistance, but after finding nothing I looked to the red-headed nymph," I don't want any harm with all of you-"

"If anyone so much as lays a finger on our queen, we are to kill. I would say that you have crossed that boundary," she said threateningly to me, stepping closer by the minute.

I swallowed hard again, trying to think of what exactly we were going to do, but there wasn't much time for thinking. Emily released Caspian from his binds and both of them ran beside me, just as they got there, the nymphs all released a screech that was nearly as loud as their leader's death had been. I hadn't a weapon or any plan as to what I was to do, needless to say, when they charged; we ran the opposite direction.

"Good to see you again!" I cried to Caspian before running to the crevice, this definitely wasn't the reunion I had originally planned.

Stephen had somehow been able to sneak his way passed them and was now jumping through the crevice to where Emily was leading us through. There wasn't any way that they could _all_ fit through, but there was one detail that we had forgotten.

Their spirit form.

Though they could do no physical damage in their spirit form, they could still very well cut us off at the other end of the tiny tunnel, which was exactly what they had done.

"Rosalie!" Caspian tried getting my attention, but I was much too set on finding another way out. Looking all around, finally he grabbed my head with both hands and forced me to look at him through the darkness," I love you more than you know. Thank you."

"Caspian-" I started to hesitate, but it was a matter of seconds before he had pressed his lips hard against my own. I had to smile through the passionate kiss and almost forgot that we were being closed in on by nymphs on either side. Their screeches so incredibly loud.

"Hey!" Emily yelled, looking back at us.

"Not to interrupt or anything, I know you're glad to see each other and all, but why not making yourself useful and, oh, I don't know, FINDING OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE ALIVE!" Stephen hollered from up ahead, obviously getting rather nervous as they came in closer, making the small crevice-tunnel, even smaller.

Immediately, my cheeks felt as if they were on fire as I broke away from Caspian. Both of us chuckling slightly, before looking ahead and watching as the army of nymphs charged in closer. I turned my head to see that not only had they blocked off the front, but they blocked off the back as well. We were completely trapped.

"Hey Stephen, got any more knives?" I asked, finding that to be our only option. "Here's your opportunity to practice some more knife throwing."

As I was saying this, Caspian whispered to me," And who is that kid?"

"I'll explain later," I told him quickly, waiting for Stephen's answer.

"Heh, I don't think I have that many knives," He replied, with a small, humorless chuckle.

Just as he was grabbing his pack to check his supplies, they started moving in even more heavily. They seemed to be multiplying by the minute, forcing all of us into a close huddle in the middle of the narrow tunnel, there was hardly any time. Their teeth seemed to be inches from us.

"Rosalie, what are we-" Emily tried, her voice very high-pitched and very nervous sounding.

"I don't know," I cried, feeling Caspian beside me and grabbing his arm tightly, so glad to finally be with him once again, but scared that this was the end. There was no way that we could escape this.

Right as the first nymph jumped to make her mark on us, the ground shook tremendously. A continuous rumble echoed through the tunnels as we tried to hold on to something, anything. I held tight to Caspian and watched as Stephen grabbed Emily away from their reach and tucked both of his arms protectively around her.

I had thought that this earth shake was perhaps one of the ways that the nymphs had planned to destroy us, but the looks of their faces showed that they were just as frightened as we were. They started to retreat as rocks started falling from over head. We were quick to follow them as they seemingly forgot about attacking us and tearing us to bits; it was a matter of survival for all of us.

As soon as we exited the tunnel, the shaking of the ground ceased and the memory that they were about to kill us re-entered all of their heads as they looked around, seemingly baffled by what had just happened. Still, it seemed as though we were trapped. Evil smiles returned to their faces as they came ever-closer to us once more. Caspian directed me in the opposite direction, a small opportunity for us to escape; Stephen and Emily quickly followed behind, but before we could get very far; our path was blocked.

Caspian and I looked at each other. The rumble may have been a shock, but this was completely unexpected.

A lion stood in the path, sitting proudly on its haunches. The ever familiar smile planted on his face as he looked at the four of us, who, I assumed looked completely astounded.

The lion roared and the nymphs seemingly disappeared.

Aslan had never left us.

**Author's Note: This chapter was a lot longer than I thought it would be, but that's alright I suppose. I can't believe that this is one of the last chapters…crazy, but anyways CASPIAN IS BACK! Woo-hoo and Jacob is in for a big shock soon. :)**

**Thanks for your support guys! I love hearing all of your feedback so please let me know what you thought of this chapter. **

**You all are the best!**

**~TennisQueen12**


	30. Tomorrow Can Wait

**Disclaimer: I own almost nothing. It goes to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Thirty: Tomorrow Can Wait

"Aslan," Both Caspian and I whispered, seemingly at the same time.

"Hello, my dear children," The lion spoke in the ever-calming voice, slowly raising off of his haunches and walking toward us.

Stephen and Emily seemed to be in awe, still being held tight in each other's grasp. Out of the side of my eye, I watched as color rushed to both of their faces and they quickly broke away from their embrace. Stephen cordially nodded at her and she did the same to him before joining Caspian and I. The most humorous part of this was that they had no idea I had seen.

Neither of us knew what to say, everything was at a sudden peace. No more screams, no more earth quakes, no more nothing, except for a majestic lion coming toward us with an aura around him so strong it could have been glowing through the darkness in the caverns.

"Aslan, I must apologize for not being a better leader-" Caspian immediately started pouring out his apologies and breaking the silence, but Aslan shook his head.

"You had no control over this, Caspian," Aslan said in a very comforting voice, shaking his head.

I felt it necessary that I speak as well," And I dragged my feet for much too long, I'm sorry-"

The lions eyes glanced over to me, "You need not apologize either, Rosalie," He spoke directly to me, his eyes shining brightly even though the rest of the cave.

"Someone is to blame for this ever happening-" Caspian started again, obviously feeling very guilty for all of this.

"And that person is Jacob. I promise that the both of you will not be held accountable for this. He is the one that has destroyed Narnia and turned it into a complete madhouse. He has done this by reviving creatures that I have banished for many years. These nymphs were never suppose to be visited again. _Never_. Their lifestyle is vulgar when they are living amongst men. That is why I forced them to be isolated so that they could have a second chance at a pure life. Obviously, that did not work and I apologize that you have been abused in such a manner, my child," He spoke directly to Caspian, who stopped arguing after Aslan said this.

"If you don't mind my asking," I started, looking from Caspian to the lion," How are we going to go about defeating him?"

A smile came to the lion's face as he allowed for a chuckle to escape his lips," Child, I cannot help you any further. I know that all of you have the intelligence to figure that out on your own, but remember that you will never be alone for I am keeping a rather close eye on all of you. I must be leaving soon, but you will not have to worry about any more nymphs getting in your way. I have scared them enough to make sure they don't return while you are here. As for now, worry about getting the rest of your men out of here. Then, get back to the village and get those people out of the captivity of the Cruels, they are another civilization that I never wanted to be disturbed again. I have already said too much, but take the trail that you took to get out. Take the trail that Stephen lead you along and you will not be disappointed."

Stephen seemed to be shocked at the mention of his name.

"Aslan, you really can't tell us anymore?" Caspian asked, searching for more answers from the lion.

The lion shook his head," I have given you this much, Caspian. I have given you what you need, now restore Narnia. I must not interfere much with this. You are their King. They put their faith in _you_ to come to their rescue."

Before either Caspian or I could object, the lion was already turning to leave.

"Stephen, I must say that your knowledge has been most helpful. I have been very impressed," Aslan said before he could get too far away. Stephen smiled a crooked smile and nodded acknowledgement to the lion. I saw Emily watch Stephen as Aslan was complimenting him. I couldn't help, but smile and just as I thought Aslan was leaving; he spoke to Emily," And Emily, your courage has proven to be most admirable. It takes quite a lot of boldness to stand up to one's master, but you did what you had to out of love. There is no greater respect that I could give you."

Color rushed to her face again as a smile grew on her lips," Thank you."

"You are welcome, child," He said with a smile on his face.

And with that, the lion turned and as he walked further away from us, he was gone. Vanished for good.

* * *

It didn't take us very long to gather together all of the men for they were mostly gathered together in the one room that Emily and I had located earlier. We found that many of them were very confused by the sudden disappearance of all of the nymphs. There wasn't much that we could have explained to them other than simply saying: Aslan.

Apollo showed up eventually, but had we not had the help of Caspian; we would have never found him. Apparently, he was hiding in one of their typical hiding places whenever we were on our routine search. They had found one little hole that was so well hidden behind several large rocks that I would have never spotted it on my own.

After Apollo had embraced all of us merrily and introduced himself to Stephen, Caspian found that it would be necessary to plan out what we were to do next. After much discussion, we decided that we would spend one night longer in the caves, simply because it would be one place largest enough to house all of the men and awake them early the next morning in order to get back to the village by evening. It would have been useless to try and travel with many confused, beaten, and tired men. It was much too late.

Several hours passed as the men were able to celebrate (mostly just by conversing with one another) and everyone was able to mentally prepare themselves for what was to come. Caspian didn't need to tell them what was to come for it seemed as though they were already preparing themselves for taking the castle over again. He had been able to speak with them briefly; however, they had very little attention toward him before they were able to be merry again.

In this time of celebration, Caspian and I were able to slip away from the crowd.

I felt as though I was dreaming whenever I walked beside him. For so long, I had been without him and now that he was there with me…I could hardly think straight. There was so much to tell him that I hardly knew where to begin.

"Should I even ask?" Caspian started, looking at me tentatively as we walked down the deserted caves.

I looked at him, a confused look on my face," What do you mean?"

"Should I even ask how mad you must be with me?" He asked and I suddenly realized what he was talking about.

He was referencing the whole plot to get me out of the castle. I remember how betrayed I felt. I remember feeling as though I was the odd one out. So much had happened between then and now that I hardly remembered much of it. I had thought at one point that whenever I saw him again; I would be blazing angry with him, but there was a sort of peace that was in me. That small part of me that wished to be angry with him was being overshadowed by a different part. A part that was willing to forgive him. He had angered me greatly, but there were many other things to put my mind to. Other things that forced me to take my eyes off of myself.

There were others that had it much worse than I did.

Like Stephen. He grew up with little, he grew up without a mother and only a father. They didn't have that much, but his father was most of what his life consisted of. His father died. He literally had nothing. At least, I still had people who loved me, who were like family to me…

Or the people who's homes were destroyed in Narnia. They were left with absolutely nothing.

There were so many other things to be mad about…that being mad at Caspian seemed very small in comparison. It was childish for me to pout just because I was left out of a plan that really was for my own good and looking back on it, it _really_ was only for my own good.

In order to show him that I was not upset, I stopped and turned to look directly into his brown eyes," There was a time where I was very angry with you. So angry, that I didn't even want to come on this quest to find you. So angry that I questioned my love for you and your love for me," I let the words linger for a moment before continuing," But now, I can look you in the eyes and say that everything you did for me, you did because you loved me. Seeing people, who had nothing made me realize that I was being rather childish. There are some with no family, no home, and no one to love them. My pouting is rather embarrassing in comparison to that. There are other things that I can be angry about and actually make progress in getting them fixed, but I could never be angry with you. In fact, it would be rather pointless for me to be…because I love you, Caspian."

He looked me straight in the eyes before turning his head away. In silence, he started walking again, but I stayed behind…watching just what he was going to do. Was he going to say anything? I stood several feet behind him as he paced, contemplating to himself what he was to do.

He pressed a fist into the wall of the cave before uncurling it softly. He leaned against the wall, in frustration as he placed his other hand firmly on the wall," You're much too kind to me, Rosalie. I treated you like a child. I didn't treat you as my equal. I've been withering away for months up here, trying to think of ways to get you to forgive me for being so selfish…and you come here with such a warm heart when you have every reason to despise me."

I slowly approached him and placed my hand atop of his. Slowly, he turned his face to mine once again and I begged him," Please, don't dwell on this."

"I've no good reason for treating you so badly. I don't deserve your love. I didn't want you hurt, but its foolish for me to try to decide what you can and can't do. Your sister tried to tell me and I was selfish. I was-"

"Caspian," I said his name firmly, for his voice was cracking. He had so much guilt built up inside of him. I can't say that I blamed him, for that was all he had to think about for the last few months in captivity; he needed time to heal, but he didn't have much. I had to assure him that he was worthy to be loved. "There is no one more deserving of forgiveness and love than you. Don't make our journey sound as though it was done in vain."

After struggling with himself for several more moments, he looked at me for a long hard moment," You really aren't upset with me?"

"No," I shook my head as a smile came to my face. "I love you and I've missed you incredibly."

It was as though he was searching my eyes for an answer. He had a hole and he needed something or someone to fill that hole because of all the guilt he felt. For seemingly ages, we stood there as he hung his head in shame, but I kept my hand planted atop of his, reminding him that I was there for him.

Always.

He finally pulled himself away and started to walk away, but before he could get too far, he looked back at me and a tear fell down his face as he said," I love you too," and that was all he needed to say for it was then that he broke down.

Never, had he completely broken down in front of me, in fact, he was always my strong tower. It seemed as though our roles were reversed. The King was struggling to find who he was again. He had taken a break and now...and now he was confused. I knew that he would be weak, but I never though that I would watch him struggle so much with himself.

I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close as I felt tears fall from his eyes. His arms were clamped tight around me as he let all of the pent up feelings out. Being trapped by these monsters for several months would be enough to make _anyone_…even a king, a little emotionally insecure.

Several moments later, I slowly moved my hands back up to either side of his face as his hands sat at my waist," We have to stop him, Caspian. Look at what he's already done to us; we must stop him."

He pressed his forehead against my own," I know," he whispered hoarsely," I've a feeling that Narnia is going to be a much different place."

Slowly, I weaved myself out of his embrace and took his hand in mine, leading him toward the entrance of the caves. I sat him down at the Spring of Revival, where the water's seemed to be a glowing a lovely, teal color. The waters were so clear that one could see all the way to the bottom from where we stood. I sat down and took off the shoes I had been wearing for the majority of the trip.

He took this as an invitation to do the same and slid his feet into the water alongside me," You're right, Caspian. It is a much different place. A much more savage place."

He swallowed hard; I kept my hand laced in his," I figured so much," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"But you and I both know about what lay over the horizon," I said several moments later after I had thoroughly felt the rush of the chilled waters tickle my feet.

His expression turned serious as he looked at me," You really were there. Weren't you?"

The vision I had, just the night before, was something that I had kept in my thoughts. It may have been brief, but it was just enough. It was enough to remind me that not only did I have a future in this country, but I had a husband and a daughter that did as well. Our child's brilliant green eyes were permanently engraved into my head. The feel of her swinging in my arms, even if only in a dream, was enough to make me want to fight for her. I knew this was what he was speaking of.

"Yes, I was," I answered simply. "It hasn't been able to leave you alone, has it?"

He ran his thumb over one of my knuckles before saying," Every night...it has never left. I think it was Aslan's way of keeping me from going completely insane, but it has rather done the opposite. I sometimes wonder if it's merely just a tease."

I shook my head," I don't think that he would do such a thing to you, Caspian. Even if it seemed bad, you have to know he's looking over you."

"I know that now of course," He told me, staring into the waters. " But you don't know the type of pain I felt every time I opened my eyes from that dream. You don't know how badly I wanted to go back and hold our little girl one more time."

Silence hung over the both of us as we sat at water's edge. I tried thinking of just what I was to say to that for I did not want to sound too harsh or inconsiderate. The truth of the matter was that I had only seen her one time and wished to be with her again; Caspian had been with her several times and I could only imagine the desire he had to meet her in person.

"She's one of the only things that kept me going on," I said to him seriously, trying to cover up my own emotions. " I thought of her the entire way I was on my way to you. Her life depends upon us as her parents."

"I know this, but it's so hard to try and fight for a cause that you've been seperated from for so long. To try and fight for a country, that you don't really understand anymore..." He spoke, his voice so tender and soft; much more tentatively than I had ever heard him speak before.

I knew that he was struggling emotionally, but he needed to know all that had happened. I thought that by telling him everything that had happened…he would feel inspired to change things. He needed something to make him realize that Narnia needed him to be strong, desperately. That _I _needed him to be strong.

I was stepping out on a limb by doing this to him, but I had to risk it. He _had_ to know.

With a sigh, I spoke.

"They've destroyed Telmar. The homes are swept away and the streets have been badly damaged. All of the vendors have disappeared, but left their abandoned carts for rot. None of the people are cheerful; its rare to see a smile on any of their faces. We didn't stand a chance, Caspian. The giants came and did most of the damage; therefore, the few forces we had at the castle were not able to keep them off. It took three days for them to destroy our home," I explained to him, as tenderly as I could. "There is seemingly a thick gray cloud that hangs over Telmar, indefinitely. Jacob came in and assumed the throne through me. He forced me to lie to the people and has held almost everyone in the castle hostage."

Caspian had been staring into the clear waters with a rather blank expression, but his expression quickly changed as I watched him tense up," That is not surprising."

"Innocent people were killed. His men are savage and maniacal. They show hardly no mercy because they are under a psychotic leader, not only Jacob, but also General. General has been working against us the entire time, Caspian."

I expected Caspian to be surprised, but he merely shook his head and swore under his breath," This shouldn't surprise me, Rosalie. That was completely my fault. I thought I had his word, but I should have listened to my advisors. They were suspicious of him from the first day, but I assured them that he was safe. I assured him that he would have the dedication to keep Narnia the way it had been after the defeat of Miraz. You needn't tell me much more of him."

"B-but I do, really," I insisted, looking at him as he continued to stare into the water," Jacob was going to use me as a pawn, Caspian. He had the people convinced that you were dead; I had to open the casket to prove to myself and everyone else that he was wrong and not only that, but he wanted me to marry General after they were all convinced that you were dead. General tried to get me to view him in a more positive light by-"

Caspian was gritting his teeth and before I could finish; he looked directly at me with a look of infuriation on his face," Please, tell me he didn't."

Knowing what he meant, I nodded," He tried," I whispered, embarrassed at the memory of it.

The young Telmarine shook his head in absolute disgust, but had no idea what he was to say to that other than," Continue, please."

I was pleased to see that there was the slightest bit of emotion in his voice and actions.

"Luckily, he tried all that near the time that your plan was about to come into action. I didn't have to spend much more time around him after that. I was lucky that they got me out of the castle when they did because had it been a moment later…we would have been caught. Somehow, they discovered what we were doing in one of Trina's evening visits."

"You got to Cornelius's alright, I suppose?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, and that was when he explained all of this to me. He also gave me the letter you tried to write, which obviously I understand why you couldn't finish it now, but there was very little to go off of. We originally thought you would be in giant country, had Cornelius not sent me off to check out what was going on in the West; Emily and I would have been nice little delicacies for their feast at this time of the year," I told him, debating on how I was going to tell him about Cornelius. "Caspian, they found us at Cornelius's cottage after Emily and he had explained most of the details to me. The protection wore off just as we were leaving and-and Emily and I watched as the cottage was basically destroyed. H-He didn't come out."

Almost all of the color that had come back to Caspian's face was drained and I immediately regretted telling him this. I feared it was going to be five steps back in the wrong direction, but it seemed as though he was trying to shake it off," That's unfortunate. He-he-"

"I know," I assured him, grabbing his hand tighter," He didn't die in vain, Caspian. He died for Narnia."

Caspian looked at me and with a growing confidence said," He did. Everything he did, he did because he loved us and he loved Narnia. We could all learn a lesson from Cornelius…but please continue, there isn't much time for grieving."

I was shocked. He seemed to already be developing the bravery I knew was in him," If it wasn't for Emily, Caspian, I would have been killed. I didn't want to go on. I wanted to die with Cornelius, but she assured me that I had a country who needed me. It wasn't until we reached one of the villages on the path to the West that we finally had a sense of direction. That was whenever we reached Stephen, who actually worked with Jacob and was good friends with him. The point of this being that he's changed now because of the tactics in which Jacob chose to form his army by."

Caspian looked at me with a cloud of confusion," How did he form his army? I've always wondered…"

I took in a deep breath and pondered exactly how I was to explain this. I started," Do you remember whenever General told you that spirits destroyed that little town out in the West?"

"Yes," He answered, eyeing me curiously.

"There really are spirits out there, Caspian and they are called Cruels. That's what Aslan was referencing whenever he said that we needed to rescue those men, actually, but before I get ahead of myself….you sent several different troops of the army out to patrol and every time all of the men were 'killed'.

"They weren't actually killed, but rather brainwashed by these Cruels. Jacob found that he could lock someone away with these Cruels for four days and they would come out with a clean memory, no recollection of anything whatsoever. Stephen witnessed this on a couple different occasions and said that the screams are enough to cause nightmares…but your men were being sent into these Cruels and being mentally 'killed, so to say. After they came out, all it took was him, General, and Stephen to do some training with them and they were ready to fight. He's been using your own men against you in addition to followers he has been able to acquire from the outskirts of Narnia and the giants."

Caspian shook his head, hardly believing anything I was saying," That's barbaric, but very intelligent. I would have never thought that he had it in him. This is quite the shock. I suppose that he just made up the other details for more measure because no one could prove him wrong. Anyone who was sent out there would become another member of his army."

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, he continued on with what he was saying.

"That's why we have to get back to the town, isn't it? He's sent more people down there. Is that why, Rosalie?" He asked, catching on very quickly and showing a rather extreme change of emotions.

I slowly nodded my head," I've seen the town and the tavern where the entrance to these Cruels is located. In fact, General almost caught us, but the tavern owner, who was a former companion of Jacob's, was able to get me out the back door before General could get a hold of me. Stephen and Emily were able to get out early with plenty of time to spare. As I was leaving; however, his men blew up the tavern and almost every other establishment in the town for that matter."

"That's too bad about the town. There must be a reason for it, though. You think General discovered that the tavern owner had betrayed them?" Caspian asked, raising a brow.

I shrugged my shoulders and kicked my feet about in the water," It's a possibility. I would have thought that they would have wanted to keep the building there…just to keep the entrance to the Cruels covered."

Caspian nodded his head," Or, since he knew that no one could come out to that town anyways…having a bunch of rubble laying atop of the entrance could have worked in his favor."

"We'll never know until we face him ourselves, Caspian. In fact, he may not even tell us and we would never know. All we need to worry about is getting those men out; we have two days to get back down there," I told him, looking directly into his eyes.

He released a sigh," More fighting?"

I nodded," If we want to finish him once and for all Caspian, then we must."

A humor-less chuckle was released from his lips as he looked away," Do you think we honestly stand a chance Rosalie? Our men are confused and emotionally beaten down. Could they ever be an army again?"

Tentatively, I placed a hand on his knee and forced him to look at me once more," I can't foresee the future, Caspian, but I do know that everything happens for reason. I know that Aslan guided us here; I know that he brought us Stephen to bring us to you; I know that he kept you from being killed in these last few months, and lastly, I know that he saved us just moments ago. He's obviously got something planned. We have to go through with it."

"And if we're killed in the process?" He asked, scrutinizing my face.

"Then we were meant for death," I whispered to him. "And we died together, fighting for justice."

"You make that sound much too poetic," He whispered back to me as he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer. Softly, he moved his lips close to my ear," But you're right."

I looked up at him and smiled. He most definitely was not going to stay down for long. All of the men had aged greatly, and it was at this moment that I noticed the signs of age on my own husband. His hair seemed to be outgrown, more than it usually was and, unless I was mistaken, his eyes were showing some small signs of age with deep bags underneath them. The clothes he wore seemed to be tattered and torn up and down. One cut sliced the side of one of his eyebrows and smaller ones lay up and down his arms.

I couldn't help but laugh as I placed my hand on the side of his face. He had developed quite the beard while in captivity.

"What?" He looked at me, innocently trying to figure out just what I was laughing at.

My fingers grazed over the stubble on his face as I chuckled again," You must do something about this."

After a couple seconds of glaring at me, he released a chuckle along with me," I haven't exactly had much of a choice, you see."

At sunrise, we would be in danger again, but for the moment…we were safe. For the moment, we were together.

**Author's Note: We're building up to the final show-down, but there is still quite a bit that has to happen now that I think about it. I know that you all really want to know what's going to happen and I'm going to do my best to finish up before August. **

**On a side note, please let me know what you think! You all have been great :D**


	31. The Flawed Troop

**Disclaimer: I own very little, as you know.**

Chapter Thirty-One: Getting Even

"Everyone's in their marching order?" Apollo asked, frantically pacing around trying to be sure that everything was in perfect order that next morning, early before the sun had even risen.

I had my back turned at the moment as I tended to a couple of men who needed direction in just where they were suppose to be. After helping them, I turned to Apollo briefly before continuing on to checking on the madness that was occurring up toward the front of the pack where Caspian stood.

"They're almost there!" I called to Apollo as I continued walking. "Just a few more adjustments and we'll be good.

We had been expecting to leave the spot very early that morning to allow for plenty of time to get back to the village. There were so many tasks that needed to be accomplished before this could happen. It surprised me just how much needed to be done, but with the number of people we had to prepare…it was quite the challenge. A scheduled plan of events would have been magnificent.

I noticed that as I moved forward, Apollo traveled back into one of the caves. He must have needed to finish something else before we were to head out. Caspian stood at the front of the crowd on top of one of the rock formations that would allow him to oversee the line formations. Whenever I reached him, I looked out to see just what he was.

"Are you ready?" I asked, releasing an exasperated sigh from all of the rushing about.

"As ready as I can be," He answered, trying to be as confident as he could, but before he could say anymore, his attention was drawn away by another member of the troop who needed his opinion on something.

Looking out over the lines of men that awaited to be released, I realized that though they were in the war formations and though they were soldiers; they were not an army. They were not prepared for battle. Of course, there was nothing we would have been able to do about this major fallback. We had no armor, no weapons, no nothing. This was a major problem, but there was nothing we could do other than experiment with how it would turn out without these aids.

I soon heard an out-of-breath Apollo come running around the corner.

"Your majesty, you must have a look at this!" He cried, leaning over to try and catch his breath.

Glancing at me, Caspian ran around the corner, looking at just what Apollo was mentioning. For several seconds, I stood in wonder as to what he had shown Caspian. Anticipation was stirring in those of us who had heard what the Head Adviser had said. Several moments later, Caspian was back. A smile grew on his face as he looked from me to other captains of the army who stood around.

"Aslan really does have an eye out for us," Caspian said with a child-ish grin and moments later, Apollo came around the corner carrying a large crate in his hand.

He dropped the crate at our feet as we gathered around to look in.

It was as though someone had read my thoughts, for in the box lie weapons of all sorts: spears, swords, arrows. I could hardly believe my eyes, but before any of us could argue that these would not be enough; Apollo spoke.

"The exit of the cavern is filled with these. Stacked to the top; we won't be leaving until they're unpacked," He spoke breathlessly. "I think that Lion is out to ruin our little schedule."

"Maybe we're much too focused on time," I said, bending over to examine one of the arrows. "Perhaps, this is his way of telling us to not get into such a hurry."

Apollo merely seemed to shrug off my statement for it did not take long for him to run back around the corner to find more and more crates. Immense happiness and joy filled me as I saw these weapons being carried in. Apollo and Caspian had ordered for the men to start unloading all of the crates which not only consisted of weapons, but armor as well.

It was all very good and wonderful, but I couldn't help but be somewhat disappointed that the caves, that were once in nice and neat war formations, were now a large mess of men trying to clothe themselves in the proper attire.

Aslan never ceased to surprise us.

* * *

Even though the gifts had set us back quite a bit, we were still to leave the caves in full readiness before the sun had risen too high in the sky. Caspian, Apollo, Emily, Stephen, and I went through the hassle of getting everyone back in order, this time in their complete war outfits. Although it was a good lot of backtracking, it was well worth it. A feeling of confidence swam throughout the men in the room.

Emily came toward me with one crate," I think that we should go ahead and change now."

I nodded at her and abandoned the neatly formed lines. Quickly, Emily and I retreated into the depths of the caves, assisting the other in tying up the leather bodices provided in the crate as well as the other flexible body army that could be found. To my surprise, there was even a sword for the both of us at the bottom of the crate.

"Sometimes, I wonder if he's really there. Aslan, I mean. It was as though he came in just before we were breaking," Emily spoke to me as I laced the back of her bodice. "We haven't heard from him in so long…it was a nice surprise."

I nodded my head as I looped another piece of leather through," He knows what he's doing. To think, that we actually thought we were alone. We would have never survived without him saving us from the nymphs...and we probably would have been destroyed had he not sent the equipment."

"I know, Rosalie," She shook her head. "It doesn't make sense, but it works because it's him. I would have never thought that this would be happening. I never would have thought he would provide the army with all of this equipment out of thin air. I would have never thought he would have intended for me to be fighting alongside you all."

In this time, I finished the last loop and she turned around to face me. I looked at my servant's face and saw a very scared young lady.

With a smile on my face, I placed a tender hand on her shoulder and looked into her nervous eyes," You'll be fine, alright? Just stay close to me and I won't let any of them harm you."

Confidence was slowly growing inside of her," Of course, I would never leave your side."

And with that I said to her finally," Then let's save Narnia, once and for all."

* * *

That day was one of the longest. We seemed to stop briefly and when we did, there was very little time to become fully rejuvenated. Sweat dripped from my brow and with every bead of sweat; we were one step closer to finding Jacob and stopping him. Leaving the caves was a huge relief for the men and immediately a new spirit could be sensed in the men. They were entirely different people; they were ready to fight.

Caspian and Apollo spent quite a bit of time chatting up ahead of the front lines. I walked at a quick enough pace in the middle between the front line and where the two leaders stood. To my right, I noticed Emily and Stephen talking with one another. Still, I couldn't help but smile whenever I saw them together.

It was almost as though they were meant to be together. Emily was searching for something or someone after Beck died. She thought that by being with me and helping me to find Caspian, then she could get her thoughts off of that, but little did she know that she needed someone else entirely. Stephen was searching for someone to help mend the old wounds from not only Jacob, but the death of his father. They may have been quite opposite, but looking at them walk and smile with one another…they looked absolutely radiant.

I walked alone for quite some time, gazing upon the beautiful Narnian landscape that curved into the green, lush foothills as we traveled back East. The sun was beating down on us the entire trip with a large blue sky overhead. I believed that this was one of the first times that the sun had shone in quite some time, perhaps it was a good omen.

The sun rose high in the sky as we stopped for a brief break at lunch time to send around what little lunch rations we had. Small conversations ran through the men for we all knew what was to come. There was even a time whenever Caspian and Apollo were nothing but silent. Confidence seemed to be fading and the idea seemed to hit us that we had no idea what to do.

At this time, I figured that we were still several hours from the village.

However, Caspian took this as an opportunity to address the men. He looked at me before standing up and taking a deep breath. Immediately, at the sight of Caspian standing atop of one of the large boulders in the valley; they were silent.

"Soldiers of Narnia!" He called, his voice seeming to echo through the valley. "After taking a rather extended break, here we are once again. We are the last ones. We are the survivors and the last hope for Narnia to be restored. I know that this is not going to be easy and I know that this may be one of the most unorganized events you have ever been apart of, but we must take a risk.

"Whenever we arrive at the village, Apollo and I have decided that we want all of you to hide yourselves until we signal you. Apollo, Rosalie, Emily, Stephen, and myself will enter the village first and should we need you then Rosalie will send up a flare that we have been so graciously given by Aslan himself. You will know that is your time to come and attack, but you will wait for one of our final calls before you strike any of them.

"We know little of how well protected General will be, but will know by this evening. You must be paying close attention and most of all listening. Your skills may not be as fine tuned as they used to be, but I'm sure that the adrenaline will come back to you.

"I know this is dangerous and risky, but think of your families. Rosalie has told me that Jacob, the ring leader of this operation, has turned Telmar into rubble. Narnia is no longer a safe place, in fact, it is much more savage than what it used to be. We must restore it! For the sake of your wives, sons, daughters and future generations…fight for Narnia. Do not be scared, be strong, be courageous. Death is not the one to fear, but rather the fear of death is what is to be feared."

He paused, allowing for his words to sink in.

"I wish I could give you a more elaborate plan, but I know that you will not fail me," He spoke with such confidence and every one of the battered soldier's eyes were plastered to Caspian as he spoke. He thrust one fist into the air and yelled," FOR NARNIA!"

The men did not hesitate in joining their true King. Moments later, the entire valley was echoing with one booming voice screaming their loyalty to Narnia. The true Narnia. The Narnia that lay over the horizon.

* * *

The sun sunk lower into the sky until it was nearly tucked under the horizon for the day. Off in the distance, Caspian, Apollo, and I could see what was left of the village. There was just enough light at dusk for us to see the rubble. Not to our surprise, there appeared to be a troop of men lingering around the village. They would not have been able to see us yet, but Caspian did notice that they were patrolling.

"They appear small in number," I whispered to Caspian, standing behind a pine tree.

Caspian observed them more closely before saying," Yes, they are not nearly as large as I thought they may be. Jacob must be holding the rest of his army in Telmar. He would not have thought to send many with General…perfect. There are maybe...one or two dozen...not many."

I looked behind me and noticed that our men were strategically weaving themselves into stealth mode behind the trees and rocks in the forests. We were now traveling on the downhill side of the valley to where the village sat. We now had the advantage of night with us for the sun was sinking quickly into hibernation for the day which made moving down the valley much more practical for all of us.

With every step that we came closer, the more my heart seemed to speed up. I couldn't believe that we were finally coming down to the end. Pain cringed through me as we came closer as well because all of us could still hear the sounds of men screaming at the tops of their lungs from underneath. I couldn't help but feel as though we were responsible for their well-being. Chills were ticking the top of my skin before moving down to the bone.

In a matter of hours, we were standing a mere few feet from where General's men were exploding more items in the town. General could not be seen, it could be assumed that he was in one of the last standing structures in the village. Caspian moved quietly from the tree he was standing behind to where I stood hidden, across from his tree.

"Are you ready for this?" He asked me, his breath heavy as Stephen and Emily moved briskly over to us.

"Of course," I said with a nod, though he could not see it in the dark.

"The both of you are ready?" Caspian asked, a genuine concern in his voice as he looked at Stephen and Emily.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time," Stephen grumbled as Apollo could be seen in the moonlight coming over.

"Of course!" Emily chipped in.

Apollo seemed to appear next to me out of nowhere.

"The men are in their hiding spots; Rosalie, do you have the flare, should we need it?" The adviser asked me seriously.

I looked down to my belt and saw that both the sword and the flares were tightly attached to me," Yes, I am prepared."

Apollo released a sigh and then nodded," I believe we are now ready. I have given them orders to stay put once more and since we have been blessed with darkness, then we can now continue our ascent forward."

Though we could not clearly make out one another's faces, the tension was still high in the air. All five of us knew what needed to be done, but this was where we would actually do the work. This was where the end of Jacob's reign started. Silently, we all turned to look upon the village that was in flames once again.

General's men seemed to be enjoying themselves, burning more and more rubble. Roughly ten men were surrounded around a building that was set ablaze. They seemed to be howling with laughter and we assumed that the rest of his men were in the building along with him, one of the non-burnt ones.

"We need to stay hidden. It looks as though there are two structures left standing in the village," Caspian whispered to us. " General appears to be holding up one of the buildings; we need the other one to hide behind. We'll go one at a time to run to the building, hiding on either sides, understand?"

A chorus of "yes" flooded quietly amongst us as we sneaked along, unseen. Just as we reached the last line of trees before the village, another explosion was set off. Luckily, it was not the building we planned on attacking, but merely the other fires sparking up. General's men were still greatly distracted.

Caspian gulped hard and then looked at me," I'm going in now, follow me after I give you the okay, alright?"

I nodded hard and looked at him intensely as he turned to perform his attack. He moved quickly and gracefully in the moonlight from the tree to the other side of the building, out of sight. He kept his body low to the ground and after my heart starting beating again, I noticed he was waving me over.

Oxygen filled my lungs deeply before I followed in the same steps as my husband, careful of every step. Each of us made it to the building without much conflict. Getting into position proved not have been the difficult part, but killing the ten men that lingered outside would be.

"Oi! You 'ear 'bout the lit'le queenie? I 'eard she broke loose!" One of the men howled, dumping what appeared to be whiskey over the fire.

"That's just a rumor that was started a long time ago. I bet that Jacob has got her locked away in the castle still," another one said, jumping behind a barrel as the fire exploded at contact with the potent alcohol.

Before anymore conversation could be held, one of the men threw open the door where General seemed to be making camp. The building that we were not hiding behind.

"Oi, we need four of ye in here! General needs to speak with ya! The others keep guard," A rogue man yelled and immediately, as if competing, four men scampered over to the nearly beaten in door.

The remainder of the men had their backs to us, but were not very far away.

"I can take one of them," Stephen whispered, drawing a knife from his pocket.

Caspian shot his head over to the boy with a wary eye. He looked him up and down before nodding," Are you sure? You must be quiet."

Stephen gave him a look that assured all of us that he would before creeping around the side of the building. He was lucky for the man had just turned and began walking toward the opposite side of the building that we were hiding on.

"Be careful," Emily whispered, almost inaudibly as he crept around the corner.

Slowly, Emily followed in his steps to watch. Carefully, she stuck her head around the back of the building to watch. All of our hearts seemed to be beating quite a bit faster. Seconds later, Stephen rejoined us with a bloodied knife that he wiped against his pant leg.

"One down," he whispered," Five to go."

Instantly, Caspian saw a break in the watch as they were distracted by the killing of their fellow man. He sprinted as quickly as he could across the main village path as the men were distracted by another explosion in the town. As Caspian crouched behind a large piece of debris, I saw a barrel across the way that would have been perfect to hide from the men. Quickly, while the men were still distracted, I ran across the threw myself behind the barrel. Apollo stayed put at the building as Emily and Stephen took shelter behind the last standing building where General and his men were stationed on the inside.

Our eyes were stuck on the men closest to us. I noticed that a man was coming toward me, about to cross passed the barrel on his way to patrol the opposite side of the town. Before he could get that far, I sprung up from my hiding and sliced my new sword through his throat. I couldn't leave him laying dead in the middle of the village, so I caught him just before he could fall completely on his face, intending to pull him to the side.

_Two down...four to go._

This plan seemed to be running much too smoothly for just before I could drop the man to the ground, one of the other men turned around sharply to see me with the dead man in my hands. Without much care for his body, I tossed the body down and tried to find shelter for myself.

"Oi! O'er there!" The scraggly man cried and immediately started running toward me with a sick grin on my face, I prepared myself for company, but before I could receive any of the action; a knife pierced through the man's chest.

_Three down...three to go._

Stephen came running out from behind the building and pulled his knife out from the man's chest. The other three men came charging toward Stephen and before Stephen could be left out to dry, both Caspian and I joined him. We met the three in nearly the middle of the village, just out of sight from the building in which General was. With several quick slices I was able to take care of another man that didn't seem to be very well protected and more shocked than anything else. The concern for being concealed seemed to be of little importance.

_Four down...two to go._

Stephen had sliced through another man, but before Caspian could give the coup de grace to the scraggy man, he let out a fierce howl," HELP! HELP!"

_Six gone...more to come._

With a groan, Caspian sliced his sword through the man's midsection and motioned for all of us to retreat back to our hiding spots. Before we could make it there, the scuffle of men moving from behind us could be heard and they seemed to have seen us just before we could hide.

They ran out, yelling," STOP WHERE YOU ARE!"

None of us dared taking another step," Good, now drop your weapons and slowly turn."

As much as it pained me to admit that we were caught, I dropped the sword in my hand without hesitation and listened as it hit the ground. The other two dropped theirs and turned alongside me. Together, we faced a line of men pointing crossbows at us. The ever-present sound of the men screams from below the ground filled our ears as their ring leader stepped out of his shelter.

"What could _possibly_ be happening that would cause you to bring me-" He started to explode on his dimwitted men as more and more piled out of his base. When his eyes met mine, a shiver was sent down my spine. The look General wore was a rather cocky grin, until his eyes drifted to my right, where Caspian stood. His eyes widened and voice cracked as he came closer to us," Y-you're suppose to-"

"Be locked away in the mountains?" Caspian asked with a smirk, amused by the look on General's face. "You may have left me to rot, but it just so happens that there was a loop in the plan. A flawed plan, if you will."

General gaped at us for several moments, unable to say anything. Never had I seen General so shocked in the short time I had known him. He appeared as though a ghost had literally flown through him. I moved my hand down to my belt and noticed that the flare must have fallen off somewhere in the scuffle. I tried to keep my calm, but internally, my heart was beating out of my chest.

"Men, go back to the building. Protect the entrance," General said, trying to clear his throat and sound more at ease. Just as the, twenty or so, men started to file back into the building, he stopped two of the men with crossbows. "You two stay, it'll make it more…even. Three-on-three."

After several moments of staring intensely at the three of us, General finally opened his mouth to speak.

"I must say, Rosalie," He looked over at me with a new found confidence, "that I am quite impressed."

I kept my eyes pinned on him as I crossed my arms over my chest and glared as he continued," I would have never thought that your little husband would have ever been seen again," He paused to pick up the sword that sat at my feet," And yet, here he is." He twirled the blade to examine the blood that was left on the edge of it.

As peculiar as the sight was, I didn't have to watch it for long because Caspian was soon to speak. I prayed he was being careful, for we still had two very serious crossbows pointing at us.

"I trusted you," Caspian growled at General, looking out of the side of his eye. "I should have never done so."

A cackle escaped from General's lips as he looked directly at Caspian," You said it, your majesty, not me," Cackles continued to escape his lips as he paced around to face Stephen.

"Well, well, well," General murmured, looking Stephen up and down, immediately recognizing him. "It appears as though I've a traitor of my own in our presence."

Stephen kept his gaze away from General's, but slowly General placed my sword under Stephen's neck and gently turned his head to look him straight in the eye. General sucked his teeth, looking at the young boy with disgust written over his face," You still think you're on the winning side?"

With a bored, uninterested expression on his face, Stephen answered curtly," I could ask you the same question."

And as if on cue, a red flare sparked in the air, high above our heads. At that small portion of time whenever General and his men were distracted, Caspian ran forward and threw the crossbow out of one of the man's hands. Stephen was able to weasel his way out of General's grip, for it was weak as he looked away and kicked the crossbow from the other man's hands.

"What's going-" General tried to ask, but both Caspian and Stephen had started struggling with the other two men, who were throwing wild swings.

I backed up as quickly as I could, trying to get out of General's sight before he noticed what I was doing, but with a nasty smirk on his face he came running after me with my own sword. "C'mere queenie, I think it's only fair that I get a shot at this…since last time you were the one holding the knife at my throat."

Just as I turned the corner, I saw Emily stomping out the flaming red flare that had apparently come blazing back down to the ground. I made the assumption that she had been able to retrieve the flare after I dropped it. She looked at saw me with General close on my back, in the distance, Apollo could be seen corralling the army of men to surround the village. She grabbed the sword from her own hilt and tossed it to me.

When I turned back around, General was threateningly waving my sword at me and I couldn't help but smirk," Just give up now, General. Your numbers are much smaller than ours and there is time for you to turn good. Create a new image for yourself."

I watched him look over my shoulder into the woods as he saw the army of men trampling through the trees. He appeared unafraid and uncaring of the words I had just spoke to him as he yelled," MEN! A LITTLE-"

Before he could finish his statement, I swung at him, taking a slice into his forearm. He swore loudly and looked at me with a glare," You little-"

He took a hefty swing at me. We went back and forth for several rounds before I saw from the corner of my eye as Caspian took down the other man and hastily picked up the crossbow from the ground. Seconds later, Stephen's opponent crashed to the ground, but rather than grabbing the crossbow, he ran back and picked up his knife that he had been forced to throw down.

"This is where it ends, General," Caspian growled, coming closer with the crossbow pointed directly at him.

General noticed the crossbow aimed at him and reluctantly put his hands in the air, dropping my sword. I bent down and retrieved it, stepping away.

This was a matter that was not between General and I…Caspian should have been the one to finish him. I handed Emily's sword to Caspian as he passed the crossbow over to me. Still, I kept it pointed at the grimy man.

"You've no right to live," Caspian continued, cornering his old friend against a piece of standing debris. "You realize that your treason alone is enough to lock you away for life?"

General gritted his teeth as nervousness seeped out of his oily skin," Jacob was going to make _me_ king. I was going to do everything I needed to do to gain that title…you just so happened to be the one holding the crown at the time. It's nothing personal."

Caspian pointed the sword closer to him, by this time, our army had almost surrounded the entire village. They had not yet attacked, but would as soon as Caspian sent the word.

"Nothing personal?" Caspian asked with a raise of his brow. "You're saying that sending _my _men to this hell-hole to be brainwashed has no direct affect to me? You're saying that trapping _my_ people in fear to go outside has no direct affect on me?" Caspian paused as he pressed the blade against General's midsection before growling. "You think that trying to ravage my wife for your self-gratification doesn't affect me?"

General swallowed hard with the feel of the sword at his midsection," Caspian, listen, we can-"

"No," Caspian growled again, with much more intensity as the men that were inside of the building starting filing out to aid their leader. I had to turn my back to protect Caspian against the men starting an uproar. I heard Caspian say," You've tried to destroy Narnia with no sign of repenting for your deeds. I'm sorry you were deceived so severely."

I looked over my shoulder just before one of General's men came rushing at me. Caspian dug Emily's sword straight through General, who could make no more movement until Caspian pulled the sword from him, in which, he fell to the ground with blood spilling from his lips.

As soon as General's men came piling out from the building, our men started spilling in from all sides of the village, weapons pointed straight at the small troop that was now cornered. They tried attacking, but saw that as our men continued coming and coming, their room was less large. They saw the odds playing out in front of them. Caspian pulled himself away from General and addressed the troop in the middle of the madness.

"This is your one chance," Caspian called over the loudness to the men, who appeared quite shaken up. " Rejoin us and you will be spared."

It was amazing to see how the courage on their faces when they stormed out of the building was seemingly destroyed as soon as they saw Caspian, along with all of the men around him point a sword at them. Though most of them seemed willing to oblige and drop their weapon, before one of them surrendered, he wanted something more.

He pushed his way from the back of the troop and came face-to-face with Caspian, holding his sword with a tight grip. He acted so speedily that we could hardly even process what all was happening," You'll never be king." He spat in Caspian's face, with a nasty smirk. "We won't back down."

"It looks as though your men feel differently," Caspian replied, pointing in the direction where the men were already being taken into captivity. "Just accept the fact that you were unprepared. This doesn't have to be-"

Before Caspian could finish his statement, the man cut him off by stabbing his sword deep into his shoulder. An evil cackle was released from the man's lips as he said," I don't care if they kill me. This country's damned and it's all because-"

In the same way that he had done to Caspian, I dug my sword deep into the savage man. Instead of merely grazing his shoulder, I hit a little deeper in his abdomen before turning to Caspian and leaving my sword dangling from the man's abdomen as he fell backwards. I fell to the ground beside Caspian, grabbing the sword from the wound.

Danger had only just begun.

**Author's Note: Alright, so I'm definitely not going to finish this by August like I originally thought. I wanted to put more detail into each chapter, which explains why this one is kind of long…haha.**

**Oh and to answer a question, there is a reason why the Spring of Revival is called that and I will explain that in, *probably*, the last chapter…but only briefly. It's not very vital to the story.**

**Thank you reviewers! Keep the comments coming. :D**


	32. To the Rescue

**Disclaimer: I own very little.**

Chapter Thirty-Two: To the Rescue

Quickly, I pulled the sword out from Caspian's shoulder and tried tending to the wound. He was fighting me; however, despite the blood that was pouring from the open wound. I was nearly deaf to any opposition he gave to me.

"Rosalie-" He tried getting me to listen to him, but I was too busy yelling orders to the men around trying to get medical supplies.

"Rosalie, STOP," He told me sternly and grabbed my wrist tightly to get my attention. I looked at him, wondering why he would do such a thing. "Get the men out from the Cruels. My shoulder's not that bad…"

"Not that bad?" I asked incredulously, hardly able to think about much other than the wound. "Caspian, look-"

"No, you're still not listening. I'm going to be okay, you need to get in there and get those men _out_," He told me firmly, pushing me away from him.

After being separated from him for such a long time, it was painful to feel him push me away from him. I didn't want him to leave my sight, for I was still wary of if he would come back…as silly as that sounded. Reluctantly, I stood back up for I knew what needed to be done. I knew that I could not argue with him, not there. I then remembered the men that were still being brainwashed and though it may have still been too late to completely save them; we could at least try to rebuild them.

"Apollo!" I yelled, searching the crowd for the adviser. He showed himself shortly, pushing through the crowd that had congregated.

"Yes, Rosalie?" He asked like a faithful servant would do.

"I want you to take Caspian and clean up the wound, don't leave him anywhere near _them_," I pointed over to the group of General's men whose wrists' were being bound," Also, I need some men to follow me. I'm going to go in to the Cruels."

"Rosalie, you don't realize how dangerous-" He tried to get me to see the situation through his eyes.

"Just do it," I interrupted, hardly listening to his advice," Please."

He blinked at me, still trying to comprehend what I had just said. After he knew that he had no choice, he turned and yelled directions to the men behind me to fetch the medical supplies and tend to Caspian, who was still arguing this. He then went on to send several men to follow me to the entrance.

"I'll follow you," Stephen said, stepping forward from the line. I noticed he had a scrap over his eyebrow where someone had sliced at him.

I nodded at him appreciatively as he stepped forward. Emily was soon to follow and before I knew it, there was a good dozen of men that were behind me. Slowly, I turned to see the group of men held captive. If anyone was going to know about the Cruels, it would be them. Some of them were struggling, while others were accepting their fate. I approached one of them that was moving about greatly, not wanting to give up.

"What do I need to know about the Cruels?" I asked him, moving in close to his face.

"Why should I tell you?" He snarled back at me.

I turned my eyes to the dead man that lay with my sword still sticking out from his abdomen. Swiftly, I turned and grabbed my weapon from where it lay deep in his intestines. I turned the sword about in my hand before regaining eye contact with the burly man, taking a handful of the fabric on his collar.

"You haven't much of a choice," I waved the sword at him threateningly. "You've been there, you know what they're like. Tell me."

His confidence seemed to fade as he saw the newly bloodied sword pointed at him and gulped," You haven't a chance to go down now, honestly. Not even General could go down before the screaming silenced completely. You have until at least the morning until they'll be completely finished. Honest. Don't send anyone down there until they're finished, unless you want to die."

The man's eyes were all I needed to see in order to know that he was telling the truth. Another loud series of screams echoed throughout the village as I looked to the other men, who looked just as spooked. This news was awful for me to hear and upset me greatly.

"I'll go down there and put a stop to this," Stephen grumbled, starting to move to the rumble where the entrance was.

I turned and grabbed him by the forearm," You'll not be going anywhere. There isn't a thing you can do to stop them."

"What if they're lying, Rosalie? What if the longer we wait-" He started, but another loud piercing scream broke his sentence.

"We can't risk it, Stephen," I told him seriously" We've no choice, but to wait."

Stephen wanted to argue again, but he knew that the screams were still much too strong. We hadn't anything to fight these Cruels with and had no idea how we were to even go about stopping them. We couldn't afford to lose any men. I stepped away from the frightened man and turned directly to Stephen," Thank you for the thought, however."

I tossed the sword back into its hilt on my waist and called out," We'll set up camp here for tonight!"

Just before I was going to turn my attention back to Caspian, I looked back at the man and moved face-to-face with him once more," Should I find out that you've been lying-"

"I swear, your majesty," He said, frightened. "I'm tellin' ya what I seen."

With one more look-over, I turned my back on the man.

* * *

"Hold still," I told Caspian quietly as we sat in the upper level of the building General had once inhabited, later that evening. Caspian was sitting on the sill of the window as I dabbed salve onto the open wound that grazed his right shoulder. He winced and turned, very sensitive to any sort of touch. I placed my hand on his other, bare shoulder, trying to get him to settle down. He obviously had been lying before whenever he said that it was not that bad.

"Rosalie-" He started to object before I dabbed the wound again.

"You're being a child, Caspian. You know you have to have this to keep it from getting infected!" I scolded him, feeling more like his mother than wife.

I took the rag off the wound and dipped it into the tub of water beside me. After wrenching out the excess water, I moved it over the, now clean, wound. He shifted again uncomfortably," Rosalie!"

"Caspian, it's water. It can't hurt that miserably," I assured him, making sure there was not any excess salve seeping out of the edge.

With an disapproving look to him, I dropped the rag into the water pail and grabbed the bandages from another pail. Seeing as though I could not wrap it completely around one shoulder, as I had hoped, I weaved the bandage around the opposite shoulder before wrapping it under his arm and up over the wound. I did this several times until it was very tight and I tied the ends together.

"Much better," He said with a small smirk.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes before removing myself from the sill. Before I could leave, I saw him move forward and place a small kiss on my cheek," Thank you."

I narrowed my eyes at him," You're welcome, but had I known how difficult that was going to-"

"It was a deep cut!" He argued, trying to get me to see his side.

"That's not what you told me earlier!" I fought back, grabbing his thin white shirt from the stool in the corner. "You said it was fine. Suppose I actually had to leave you for that long, could they have been able to-"

"You're blowing this out of proportion," Caspian replied, taking his shirt from where it dangled off my arm.

"Out of proportion?" I asked incredulously." That's exactly what happened. If you said something else, please inform me of what it was."

He gaped for a moment, trying to think of what else to say to that, but at the same time; he was trying to get his shirt back on. Even though I was frustrated with him, I still had to chuckle at the sight of him trying to put one arm in the shirt with the other so tightly bandaged. With another shake of my head, I moved back to the window sill and took the shirt from him.

"We're arguing over something very childish, you realize that?" He asked me with a sigh as I maneuvered the shirt over the bandaged arm first.

Before I could come up with an appropriate comeback, I nodded my head," I know. I think we're all a little on edge now with all that's been happening."

He nodded with me as he moved his arm up the other armhole and eventually pulled his head through the top," We got the easy part done and now it's for the actual hard work….which I still haven't figured out entirely."

"You'll come up with something," I whispered to him and squeezed his hand tightly, just before there was a knock at the door.

I looked at him before looking to the door," Come in!" I called, eager to see who it was.

The door creaked open as Emily stepped through it. She smiled to the both of us as she came closer before saying," I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all," Caspian told her with a smile on his face. "How can we be of assistance to you, Emily?"

Emily smiled again," Well, I was hoping if I could speak with Rosalie…in private, if you don't mind."

Caspian looked at me as I nodded to Emily. I got up, and I looked back at him one last time," Are you alright?"

"Of course," He replied with the same smirk on his face.

"I'll see you later," I said to him lastly before turning and walking with Emily out the door. We walked down the narrow stairwell and passed all of the men crowded in the main floor. I noticed Apollo making his way up the stairs, presumably to go and speak with Caspian.

She made her way out of the crowded room and into the fresh air outside. I was close on her tail and noticed that as we stepped outside, there were several tents to house the men that had been put up outside the village, which was not nearly as explosive as it had been. The fires were now much more diluted as our men were tossing buckets of water onto them.

Emily continued walking, looking back periodically to make sure I was still following. She walked through the camp where the men were speaking very loudly and obnoxiously, though I couldn't be very upset at them for they had been through quite a bit over the last few months.

She did not stop to answer even one of my many questions until she reached the small brook that ran through the valley. The moon shone down on the trickling water, making a reflection. Rocks jutted up piercing through the thin layer of water running over the top and around the side of them.

"Rosalie, you're going to think I'm absolutely ridiculous," She said, shaking her head as she looked up, as if she were trying to figure out what she was doing.

I looked at her with a smile on my face as I picked up a rock on the ground," Well, I already think that…."

"Gentle, gentle," she laughed, as she sat down against the trunk of an enormous tree. "You know, I really have a lot to thank you for, you realize that right?"

I tossed the small stone into the brook and watched the splash," You really don't have-"

"Yes, I really do," She insisted, continuing on. "I never took much pride in anything before I met you, Rosalie. Of course, as a servant, we are to take pride in our work, but I never had any pride in myself nor did I have any real relationships with people."

There was no way that I could have responded, so I allowed for her to continue as I tossed another rock or two into the brook.

"I would have never known how to stand up for anything or anyone, but now I feel completely different. I can't really explain it, but I feel like this is my duty," She paused for a moment, trying to gather her words. "Anyway, that isn't really what I wanted to talk to you about."

A small chuckle escaped my lips," What is it you would like to discuss?"

She adjusted herself nervously in her place," Have I ever told you how absolutely perfect you and Caspian are together?"

I found there to be irony in this statement, one due to the fact that we almost ruined our relationship at first and two because we were having an argument just before she opened the door to fetch me earlier. Still, I found no sense in telling her either of these for the time being.

"Emily, I hardly think-" I tried, but she was persistent.

"No, it's really too adorable when the both of you together…envious almost. I never thought that I would ever be able to feel the way that the both of you feel for each other, but I think-" The conversation seemed to be taking a rather drastic turn. Never would I have thought that Emily would be talking to me about _this_. "That I can. Actually, I think that I have and am having these feelings."

It was as though every thought I had about her and Stephen had just been indirectly verbalized.

A smile moved to my lips again," Stephen," I said.

I watched as she nodded her head like a little girl would. I think I even heard her giggle.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked meekly, obviously embarrassed.

"Well," I started, thinking of how I was to word that. "I'd have to say yes."

She shrugged her shoulders before exclaiming," It's so odd! Rosalie, one moment, I didn't like him and didn't trust him, but the next…I had these feelings developing for him. It was whenever you were trapped in the tavern…we talked for such a long time that I felt as though I had known him for ages and that all of the bitter feelings I had from before were gone. It's odd…completely odd."

I thought for a moment about how Caspian and I had developed our relationship…it was no where near normal to say the least.

"I think that's normal with love…Caspian and I didn't really have the best relationship for a while, Emily," I explained to her," Whenever we were fighting Miraz, Caspian was in love with Queen Susan, Emily. I was actually convinced that I was in love with High King Peter…and as you can see none of that worked out, but love is odd. Don't feel too weird about it because it's suppose to be that way…I think."

"You talked about that before, but I guess that does prove how odd love is," Emily said, looking away again. "I just don't know if it's for real or not just because it's happened so soon, but I've never felt so much concern for anyone. Earlier, when General was threatening Stephen, I wanted nothing more than to take him on myself. I felt such a protection for him…it's so sudden that I don't know if it can be real. I just wanted to speak with you about it."

I turned and placed a hand on her arm," Listen, Emily, I can't make a decision for you as to how your feelings go, but I can tell you that you'll know when you've fallen for someone. I think that love breaks all rules we have. It doesn't have a limit and nor does it have a time line; when it comes…it comes. I think you should wait and see how your emotions pan out. After all of this is over, you'll know how you feel. You will know once and for all."

Emily looked over at me and beamed," Really?"

"Really. I'll always be here for you to talk with though, always know that," I said to her, still smiling.

Slowly, I got up and offered my hand to her. I thought that we needed to at least get some sleep before the morrow. The next few days would be quite tiring and we would need all of the sleep we could get.

She took my hand and stood up," Thank you again."

"Don't thank me," I said, turning my back to the brook and starting back toward the village. " You discovered this on your own, Emily. I helped very little."

She sighed as she walked alongside me in the moonlight," You think that we will survive this, Rosalie?"

I looked ahead and saw that some lanterns were still burning outside of the soldier's tents, hearing some conversation," There is hope, Emily. That I'm sure of."

* * *

Silence.

The next morning, as the sun broke through the horizon, there was the sound of nothing. Absolute silence filled the air. No screams, nothing except the sound of my own breath and the soft sound of Caspian's breathing from beside me. I got up out of the makeshift bed that lay on the hard ground of the building.

This was the morning that we would once and for all rescue the men that were trapped underground.

I rolled out of the blankets and walked over to the window, seeing that all that remain in the city was the black ash and soot of burnt buildings. Of a city that once was a home to many.

I heard Caspian shuffle before I heard him greet me," Good morning."

"Good morning," I answered, looking back to see him trying to pull himself into a sitting position with the awkward bandage.

Tenderly, I moved back over to him and helped him to sit up. After being able to sit up, he was able to get to his feet on his own accord. It was rather funny to watch him try and get up, but I didn't want to scare his pride any.

"Can you really fight like this, Caspian?" I asked him with a sigh as he walked over to try, once more, to pull his shirt on.

He was silent as he successfully was able to stick his bandaged arm in first and then proceed to stick his other arm and head through," I can put a shirt on by myself. That was only a matter of hours, so I assume that I will be prepared enough for battle."

I moved toward him and straightened out his loose, crinkled shirt," Putting on a shirt requires very little talent….fighting does."

He looked at me with all jokes aside before moving to the window," I know that, but we have another two days before we make an appearance at Telmar. If I take no extreme movements for this time, then I should be alright."

I stayed where I was and leaned against the wall," Please, don't Caspian. If you aren't healed, then you must promise me that you'll retreat or surrender."

He vigilantly placed a hand on the side of the window sill as he formed it into a fist," I can't let him get away with this, Rosalie. You know that."

"I do know that," I replied," But if it is too hard for you then allow the rest of us to handle it. Allow us to take care of him. It's not worth placing yourself in an even more vulnerable state."

Caspian was silent as he pounded his good fist against the wall again," We'll see, but now we've a group of men to rescue."

He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

* * *

Several hours later, we were all in our armor once again and prepared to take on the day. I stood next to Emily as the men were taking off the rubble that stood piled on top of the entrance to where the Cruels dwell deep underground. The men told us that the entrance was underneath where the tavern used to be.

We hadn't heard anyone scream for many hours and we were assured that it was safe. In order to protect ourselves, we agreed to send the men of General down first. It took several moments and several large men in order to move away all of the debris, but soon we were standing in front of the entrance that appeared to be a trap door.

"Open the doors and lead us down!" Caspian called out, clutching his shoulder just before following the sketchy leaders.

One of the scraggly men pulled open the trap door and lead the way. Several others passed in front of me; I waited for Emily. We both followed behind Apollo, Caspian, and Stephen. Several other leaders of the army followed behind us as we made our descent. As soon as we stepped down, darkness seemed to surround us. Luckily, the men at the front were carrying torches, as were the men behind us.

"I don't like the feel of this," Emily whispered to me as the temperature dropped the farther we traveled down the dark, wet stairs.

"Nor do I," I whispered as I passed through a thick spider web.

We kept close to each other for the entire way down the stairs. I was regretting every step. Life seemed to disappearing as we went farther down and I wondered if this was really just some sort of trap. Granted, we had heard the screams the days before…but I wondered if that was all just a ploy. Had Aslan been wrong?

"We've reached the bottom! Watch your step," Apollo called back to the rest of us.

The man lit up the bottom of the stairwell. It was hardly a step, but more of a ledge that we would have had to jump from. Trying to spot just where I was going to land, I tossed myself from the semi-steep ledge and landed harshly onto my feet, feeling joints pop after the impact.

It was at this moment that I saw the group in awe as they stared over one of the ledges into what appeared to be a dark pit. The ground was a slick stone, that anyone could have easily slid off of and the walls and ceiling were rock that was jutting out here and there, very dangerous. In the pit, appeared to be almost two or three troops of men.

"There they are," I heard the man up front grumble to Caspian. " Can I get out of here now?"

"No," Caspian said, grabbing the man by the forearm and still staring into the pit of men, who seemed to be wearing blank expressions on their faces. "You're staying."

The man let out a groan as he slumped back into place beside Caspian. I was amazed by the size of the cavern and by how many men there really were inside this cavern. Some of these men must have been in there for much more than four days, for their clothes were torn much worse than the others. They all, still, wore the exact same expression of blankness.

"What am I to do to win their allegiance?" Caspian asked, almost as if he was wondering aloud to himself.

Stephen elbowed his way closer to Caspian before saying," If I remember correctly, then you are to speak to them. They are not very stubborn, obviously."

"Oi! Yes, but not in here. You start your little spiel and we're going to have a mess of Cruels on our hands," The dirty man spoke up. "Get them out of here first. I'll lead the way once more."

Slowly, the man started to edge his way down one of the steep drop offs. Caspian was next and I couldn't help but hold my breath as he did so. His shoulder seemed to prove him with no problems for he made it to the bottom. One by one we followed them until we were on the bottom floor, standing just feet from the crowd of men who seemed to be staring off into space. Had I not known otherwise, I would have thought they were all standing dead with their eyes open.

"Now, come along," The man whispered to the first man he saw, very gently as if he was not wanting to frighten him. He then turned to Caspian after he got the man's attention," You see, it's a chain reaction…they see one of their mateys going, then they go along too."

As if under an enchantment, the men started following the man up the drop off, careful not to fall as they did. The rest of us could only stare in amazement as one by one the Cruels' cave was emptied.

Just as the last man was being sent back up, a scream could be heard. An earsplitting scream that pierced through the silence.

Stephen took a deep breath in as if he had been expecting it," The women."

"What do you mean?" Caspian asked, looking rather shocked.

"I remember what Jacob had talked about the entire time…why it was essential for them to take a group of women down as well," He muttered aloud to himself as another scream echoed through the caves. "Jacob made a deal with the Cruels, for however many men he got to take back…they would sacrifice half that number of women. It's the Cruels' payment. That's what you're hearing. That's why they emptied the entire town into this-"

Another scream was released as one of the large stone structures in the back started to shift.

"We've got to get out of here," Stephen said under his breath before yelling, "C'mon!"

He started sprinting back up to the drop off, careful not to make one wrong movement.

Before Caspian followed, he couldn't help but look back," B-but the women? They're just to be left?"

**Author's Note: I feel like this chapter was all over the place, but we're still setting up for the ending…which is going to start in the next chapter! I'm guessing that I have four LONG chapters left, including the epilogue. That's an estimate right now though…**

**Thanks for all your support! Love you guys! Tell me what you think :D**


	33. The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: I mostly just own Rosalie and a couple others that you don't recognize from the movies.**

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Beginning of the End

"Caspian," I begged, just as I placed my first foot onto the drop off. "Please, there's nothing that can be done."

"Rosalie, they're citizens of Narnia! I can't just-" He argued, the rocks shifted behind us. It appeared as though the entire caves had just shook.

"If they sacrifice women, Caspian, then they could come out after Emily and I any second now. Please-" I screamed to him, as rocks starting falling from all over, the walls, the ceiling, underneath us. Though they were not large, it was still quite eerie. "Accept that we're too late this time!"

Stephen was beginning to get rather anxious as well.

"Sorry to interrupt, again, but they're probably already dead or almost there. They won't be able to withstand much more of that and if we don't leave then we're going to be in their situation," He yelled to the both of us; he was already leaned up close against the ledge drop-off. "I'm sorry, but we've got to go. If we leave now, then they'll never realize that there's women here."

Caspian, obviously pained, looked back. The rocks in the back were crumbling as women's screams filled the caverns. Stephen had started to slide his way up again, feeling as though he had done what he could. I looked intensely at Caspian and shook my head, there was no sense in doing something risky right now," Please," I pleaded with him, feeling another rumble in the thin sliver of ground underneath me.

He looked away at the place where the women were trapped for a long moment before turning his head back toward me and reluctantly rejoining me. He had at least come to terms with himself. His attention was already distracted on sliding up the edge as quickly as he could, but just as I turned my eyes to head up; I saw _them_ coming through the rocks.

Just as the nymphs took form of a spirit, the Cruels did as well, but I hardly thought they could take a human form. For a spirit, they looked abnormally fierce and tangible. I watched with wide eyes, briefly, at the tattered cloths they wore and the deranged looks on their translucent faces. It appeared as though they had long, stringy and, not to mention greasy, hair that slopped in the wind behind them and lay plastered against their faces. It was hard for me to tell which of them were male and which were female, but I didn't want to spend much time pondering over it either.

Not wanting to take much more time, I released a yelp after the shock wore off which caught Caspian's attention long enough for him to look back. We edged up the drop-off as quickly as we could with all of the rubble falling and the dust flying, but managed to run until we were almost with Stephen, who was assisting Emily in climbing up the stairs.

"_Who, other than King Jacob, dare disturb our home?" _They hissed at a frequency so high that my ears felt as though they would burst.

I tried not to look back, but I couldn't resist once and saw that an entire army of these Cruels were gaining us quickly.

Caspian was taking nearly three steps at a time beside me.

"Caspian, they're getting closer!" I shrieked, feeling a stone hit my shoulder before falling off.

The stairs behind us seemed to be disappearing one by one under the collapsible ground. He grabbed my hand and kept on running at such a fast pace that I could hardly keep up as more clouds of dust dumped into our field of vision. All of the Cruels seemed to release another shrill sound that echoed throughout the caves and made the falling debris come down at an even heavier rate.

Finally, after much dirt and rubble falling atop of us and the grumbling of the ground, we were able to see the minuscule light at the end through the thick dirt and rock falling, with the last of the men moving out of the stairway and Stephen and Emily.

Though, light was still far away, it was still there and it was almost the only thing that assured us life existed the farther north we traveled.

The screams were now so torturously loud that both Caspian and I could hardly think of much other than reaching the end of the stairs. They were now so very close to us that I could have sworn I felt a breath down the back of my neck. All I could think of was how very loudly they were shrieking and how the women's screams back in the cave were screaming just as loudly, if not more so.

The light was now so close. It was much more than a light now, in fact, it was a very visible hole. Escape was so close that we could taste it.

I clasped Caspian's hand tight and just as I saw one of the Cruels take a dive toward us, with another tremble of the ground, we were able to throw ourselves through the opening that was just in front of us.

Stephen pulled me through as I turned to grab Caspian's hand. It seemed as though the stairs that we had just climbed were crumbling to complete destruction just as he fell through. Emily slammed the trap door shut, breathing almost as heavily as both Caspian and I were.

"What are we to do about _that_?" I asked, nodding over toward the shrieking Cruels mixed in with the screams of the women.

Caspian inhaled sharply," Aslan never meant for them to be disturbed, if you remember. Perhaps now they will be able to live the life he designed for them. I do not intend for anyone to ever perturb them gain. They are creatures, just as the nymphs are, that need to be isolated from society."

"And the women?" I asked between deep breaths.

Caspian looked down, as if hanging his head in shame before saying," We were too late and unprepared for them, but their existence will never be forgotten. When all of this is over, there shall be a memorial for them."

I took several seconds for the air to refill my lungs before I pulled myself to my feet. Caspian was standing next to me just before Apollo approached the both of us.

"Are you ready to address your new army?" He asked Caspian momentously as the young king inhaled deeply, still trying to replay what had just happened in his head.

There was a pause as Caspian seemed to think on his answer.

"I believe I am," He said simply. "Thank you, Apollo."

* * *

All of the men were moved into the same building that General had kept his men. There was hardly any room for much extra people; therefore, Emily, Stephen, and I crammed ourselves in the very back. I wish that there was a way for me to say that we were comfortably fitting, but the truth of the matter was just that we were not. The oxygen levels seemed to be dropping by the minute.

That situation hardly seemed to matter for long; however, because Caspian had begun speaking, awkwardly, for it appeared as though none of the men were paying attention.

"I can't stand up here and even begin to imagine what the lot of you have been through, though I doubt you remember much of it. This is the exact reason why I stand in front of you. There is a man out, ruling over what your home is, Narnia. This man's name is Jacob and he has done awful things to you and your families, even if you do not remember them."

Never had I heard him stumble over his words so much.

"I want all of you to know that I will begin deliberately working on a way to replenish all of your memories, but, in order for this to occur, you must join my army. I cannot begin my research until I am back at the castle and Jacob is out of Narnia for good. Not only are you doing this for your own good, but there are thousands of Narnians out there that need hope. You can give them that hope. Individually, we are just a single person, but together we are one driving force that could be difficult for Jacob to stop. We can go back to your old lives.

"You must assist us in regaining control over your home. I will not lead you astray as others have done to ones like you. I want to give your lives back to you."

Caspian paused and looked over the men. His mouth opened to say something else, but he appeared to be struggling with what he was to say. After glancing away briefly, he looked back to the men and said quickly," You'll need some supplies. In the next hour, they will be happy to help you into our extra supplies we've brought along. If you choose not to fight…that is acceptable as well. Thank you."

He nodded to them once more before leaving.

It seemed as though, suddenly, these men had sprung a new sort of life to them. They were speaking and had a look of worth on their faces. Without doubt, all of them seemed to have a sudden interest in what Caspian was doing. As he moved back, they all watched him, in awe, as Apollo started corralling them toward the exit. We watched as Jacob's ingenious plan was working to our advantage. I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for using such a tactic, but we couldn't let them stay down there in suffering.

Caspian kept on walking through the back door, not even stopping to acknowledge any of us. I give Emily a look before following Caspian. By the time I reached him, he was moving quickly toward the skirts of the city.

"Caspian!" I yelled after him, sprinting to catch up.

He continued walking, oblivious to anything I was yelling at him.

Finally, I caught his arm and he looked at me, an intense look on his face," We have to get to Telmar, get Narnia back and heal those men once and for all."

I suddenly understood that the reason for his stumbling and nervousness was because of the same guilt I had felt.

It was time to move onward to Telmar.

To regain Narnia.

To finish Jacob.

* * *

And so it began.

The army lines were formed and the men that were mentally confused as to anything they were doing were trained very quickly and were receptive to everything being said to them because…well…they were similar to a sponge. All of the soldiers worked together in order to get these men to where they were able to withstand some battle.

Of course, even though they were receptive, these skills were not things that could be taught in just a matter of hours. We couldn't take the time to train an army so we pressed on Eastward.

The journey that lay ahead of us was not necessarily a difficult one, but it was a time consuming one. We traveled through thick forest, gaping ravines, long fields that seemed to never end. The closer we came to Telmar, the more dreary everything appeared to be becoming. The skies above, which had been blue before, had turned to a thick and nasty overcast. It was almost as though the weather knew what was to occur.

Several nights we traveled in the forest and made camp near a water supply, seldom to stop in the villages. Caspian and Apollo seemed to stay up for hours planning exactly what their attack was to be. There was one evening that we made an attempt to stop back in the village where Stephen's inn was. He still had an emotional attachment to the place, as anyone who had experienced what he had would. That evening came very quickly upon us and Stephen assured us that he would have a room for some us to take house in. Not only that, but some of the other families he knew would be willing to do so as well.

However, the sight that we saw as we came over the trail that led to the village was quite somber.

Though Stephen was not one to show much emotion, the look in his eyes as he looked upon the inn that was completely destroyed, laying in ashes not unlike the town out West. Caspian moved over toward the boy, though he did not know him well, he placed a hand of comfort on his shoulder. Stephen couldn't seem to look at anything other than the spot where his inn once stood. He was absolutely silent.

I started to move toward him, but Caspian gave me a look that told me to leave him be. Emily started to move toward him, but I grabbed her softly by the arm and shook my head.

"We'll set up camp here," Caspian mumbled to Apollo, who quickly went off running about to announce the news.

Just before I went to assist them, I looked back one more time to see Stephen fallen on his knees and head in his hands.

* * *

"Why would he do this?" I asked Caspian seriously later as he, Apollo, and I stood in the head tent that had been pitched just outside the destroyed town. "What business does he have with a little town like this?"

"Rosalie, he has to know of Stephen's disloyalty," Caspian said as he hung his head over the map that lay beneath him. "That's the only way that it would make sense. Unless he's turned into a fiery, hateful dictator-"

"Which is possible," I added, but Caspian glared.

"Though I'm sure he already _is _that mentally; he would not be that open about it," He continued, looking back down to the maps. "He wants their trust. Remember how he had you lie to them?"

I crossed my arms and released a sigh before Apollo spoke," General was probably ordered to destroy it unless Stephen could prove that he had not leaked any information. Jacob can't afford to have much of anyone against him."

I nodded absentmindedly before Caspian said, "I can understand his pain, but we haven't much time to mourn. We need to stop this from happening to others."

The thought of General ordering his men to set fire to this town made me feel absolutely sick. I couldn't help but feel even more bitterness toward Jacob, who was probably sitting in his throne with a large smirk on his face. Anger pinged down my spine, forcing my whole body to tense up.

"What do you have planned?" I asked through clenched teeth as Apollo approached Caspian, looking down at the plans.

After several moments, the king met my glance with his own look of confusion," We haven't exactly sorted it out, but there's one thought that both Apollo and I agree would be smartest."

I raised an eyebrow as I waited for an answer," And what might that be?"

Caspian gulped," We need to send someone into the castle to rendezvous with Penelope and Trina."

"That's nearly impossib-" I argued, uncrossing my arms as I moved closer to them.

Before I could even utter a complete phrase, Caspian rose a single hand in the air to silence me.

"I know that it's not very plausible, but it's nearly the only option we've got," Caspian defended, trying desperately to convince me of this, but I shook my head.

"No, Caspian. We can't risk sending _anyone_ into that death trap," I told him adamantly before saying. "Why can't we just attack the-"

"Attack the castle?" Apollo asked incredulously as he released a very dry chuckle. "Have you forgotten, dear Rosalie that Telmar is invested with not only an enormous army, but also a dozen of giants. We _can't_ just _attack _the castle. Our army may be surprising, but it is not large enough for that."

I knew that I was wrong, but I crossed my arms tighter over my chest and shot back at him," Then what do _you_ suspect we do because we can't-"

"I'm sorry, Rosalie," Caspian interrupted, looking me straight in the eye. "But the decision has been made."

I released a sigh. Anger would have been accurate to describe how I was feeling, but I knew that the thought of us actually doing any kind of attack was very unlikely. With a look of defeat on my face, I responded," Just let me know what you want me to do."

I turned to leave the tent after several moments of silence, but before I could, Apollo's voice stopped me," Could you find Emily for us, please?"

It was as if I knew exactly what they were doing. He had just made it so incredibly obvious. It hit me like a brick wall.

Looking over my shoulder, I practically pleaded him with my eyes," Don't do that to her."

"Rosalie," Caspian said softly. "I haven't an option."

I opened my mouth once to say something else, but nothing I could say would change the situation. Without another word, I turned on my heel and exited the tent, on lookout for the servant girl.

Emily was being sent on a dangerous mission that I wasn't sure she would make it out of.

**A/N: Keep on reading! I'll update soon as I can! Love you all! Drop a review! Please :D**


	34. Farewell and Surprise

**Disclaimer: Though I wish I did, Narnia and nearly all that are in it belong to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Thirty-Four: Farewell and Surprise

Just as my first foot was outside of the tent and I was able to catch a glimpse of the night outside, the first sight I saw as I turned my head to the left was Stephen, sitting on the ground with Emily close beside him. It appeared as though they were still trying to talk out everything even though Stephen was not as upset as he had seemed to be before.

Even if he was better, this plan they had developed was still wrong. She shouldn't have to risk anything for this. I watched the somber scene as Stephen couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the inn, or rather where it had once stood.

Guilt pinged through me.

This entire journey I had felt little regret for being the sibling of Jacob because I assumed that everyone knew that I was obviously not associated with him. However, at that moment, as I remembered Stephen falling to his knees; I couldn't stand it.

My brother, my own flesh had brought so much turmoil onto this country in such a small amount of time. What if I had just…informed Jacob of my plans whenever I left to find Caspian nearly two years ago? What if I hadn't left him with my father as I left to find Caspian? I was lucky that Penelope was able to be strong enough to not fall under the influence of our father, but with Jacob, I hadn't been as fortunate.

I remembered Jacob reading all sorts of strategy books when we were younger and doing all sorts of things with father. He always wanted approval from father and maybe I couldn't have done anything to change his mind, for he would have preferred to be on father's side, but the thought continued to torture me. It really should not have been a surprise that he was evil, but I still couldn't help but feel the guilt of this.

This raid, this whole situation was not a matter between Emily and Jacob. It was a matter to be settled between Jacob and I. He may have not liked Caspian either, but Jacob had made it clear that he developed an even stronger hatred for me. This hatred was a driving force behind his actions to overthrow the royalty which I couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for.

Not bearing the sight of Emily and Stephen any longer, I turned on my heel and re-entered the tent.

Caspian and Apollo looked up at me with blank look on their faces.

Before they could say a word, I announced," Send me in her stead."

Caspian's look immediately turned intense as he shook his head," You know that's not plausible, Rosalie."

"Caspian, this needs to be solved between us and Jacob. Emily is just an innocent girl and I won't allow her to place herself in such a position of danger. I'm taking responsibility for this and should he discover her; he would have no regret in killing her for she is just a traitor in his eyes," I explained, trying to stay as composed as I could while I stepping forward. "I can't let you send her."

Apollo looked at Caspian and just before Caspian could open his mouth, Apollo looked at him and nodded his head. The adviser looked directly at me before saying," Emily is much more than just some girl, Rosalie. She's a Narnian and she's in contract with her country at the moment. And for that matter, who's to say that Jacob wouldn't view you as any other traitor, kill you on the spot, and show no regrets? Who's to say that any person is really qualified for the job? Who's to predict just what he would do?

"If you must know, we narrowed the list down to certain individuals that we could trust with the job and decided that some of them were much too vital to the task force, such as Caspian and yourself. You should know that we insisted Emily stay here-"

As if on cue, Emily stepped through the tent," But I told them to let _me_ go."

I shot Emily a very confused look as she started to explain herself," I'm the least valuable, Rosalie. None of you can risk being found and they can't just let any soldier go in there. They don't know the secret hideaways like I do. I won't let anyone else do this. You may think it's just your problem, but this is still my country as well and I'll go to whatever length needed to protect it."

I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth until I remembered who it was I was speaking with. This was Emily. This was the girl that had no fear and prevented me from doing some very illogical things before this journey even began. I looked to Caspian for confirmation that this was true to which he responded with a small nod. My eyes were averted back to Emily who was staring hard at me. There were many things I wanted to ask her, but something in my heart told me to back off.

A strange peace entered me at that moment as she looked directly at me.

"He understands," she whispered to me, referring to Stephen, I assumed.

With that she placed one hand on my shoulder, squeezed it tight before walking over to the table in front of Caspian, placing both of her hands on the table to get down to business.

"When do you want me to leave?" She asked solemnly.

Who was I to stop her?

Who was I to say "no"?

* * *

It seems as though the next day when we were to leave came much too quickly. Stephen was almost back to normal the next day, surprisingly. I assumed that he was trying to mask his emotions best he could since Emily would be leaving that day.

We traveled, but traveling hardly seem to take my mind off of what was about to happen. The evening before, Caspian and Apollo had sent scouts ahead to see just where we could stake our position to where we were not obviously seen from Telmar. The clouds hung thickly over the sky as we walked all day before meeting the men at where they had deemed safe. Once there, they claimed that we were still about an hour's trek from Telmar. We were a safe enough distance away to where none of Jacob's men would even realize we were here. Emily; however, was going to have to figure out just how she would enter on her own accord.

Darkness came upon the land quickly, once more, and just as it became dark, Emily and Stephen had entered the tent in which Caspian, Apollo, and I were standing.

Caspian addressed her," Emily, I wish there was more that I could say to you, but I trust you enough to say that you know what to do. You know what has to be done. We're all…depending on you."

"Find Penelope and Trina first and then go from there," Emily said, more to herself than anyone else.

"You're still sure you want to do this?" Apollo asked her, the question had run through my head as well, but I found it would be pointless to ask.

She looked at him and nodded vigorously," Of course."

"Very well then," Caspian said finally. "You may leave for the castle after you've said your farewells."

Once again, she nodded at him before looking at me. In a matter of seconds, she threw herself in my arms and squeezed me tightly," Thank you so much. For everything, Rosalie."

I squeezed her back before placing my hands on her shoulders and looking directly at her," You're welcome, but I should be thanking you as well. You've taught me quite a bit about self-sacrifice and I'll always thank you for that. You're going to do a great job, Emily."

She smiled largely at me before turning away from me and embracing Caspian as he spoke to her," You've always been one of the most loyal friends we've ever had. Thank you, Emily. I have complete faith that you will succeed."

She beamed wildly at him before moving on to Apollo who said," You're doing absolutely tremendous work, Emily. A note needs to be made on your bravery tonight."

Just as she was about to move on to Stephen, Apollo said one last thing to her.

"Won't you release a burden from my wife, Emily? Let her know that I'm alright and that I love her," he said very seriously, a little color coming to his face as he said the last part.

She smiled and nervously said," Of course, sir. And thank you for your kind words. I will make sure to tell her that."

A smile came onto his face," Thank you."

I then watched as Emily approached Stephen and with a meek smile, hugged him tight. As they broke apart, Stephen looked directly at her and spoke very softly," You're going to do wonderfully. No matter what happens. Be strong as you've been this entire time."

He smiled at her and with one last squeeze of the hand, she said in humble whisper," I'll try."

And with that, she looked around to the rest of us one last time before exiting the tent.

We all took this as an invitation to follow her. Caspian came up beside me as we exited the tent. For a moment, Stephen didn't seem to move at all. Just as we were leaving, I asked him," Don't you want to see her off?"

As if coming out of a daze, he bit his lip hard before saying," Oh, yeah. Of course."

I smiled at him reassuringly, but all he simply did was nod to me before exiting the tent.

Caspian and I lagged behind as other soldiers seemed to congregate in a line, following the cloaked servant-girl as she moved toward the forest line.

"This is just as painful for him isn't it?" Caspian whispered to me as we came closer to the forest.

"You could say that," I whispered back as we watched the boy saunter along. " I think that they're trying to sort out emotions just like we were not so long ago."

A grin came to Caspian's face," Have they admitted it yet?"

Caspian was hardly one to make note of someone's emotions.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, scrutinizing his face as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders just as the group stopped just behind the tree line.

"Oh nothing," he replied nonchalantly with that same smirk on his face as we turned our gaze to the feeble servant girl, who was stopping to look at us one last time.

Overhead, I noticed there was still a thick cloud coverage, but it appeared as though pieces were breaking up ever so slightly. Stars were peeking out here and there as Emily was about to start her journey.

Before she could leave, she turned to us one last time," I just want to say thank you…to all of you. F-for everything. I've been most inspired by you all. I-I just wanted you to know that."

I watched her intently as she hesitated to turn away. As soon as she turned her back to us, Stephen was fighting his way through the thick sea of men. My heart skipped a beat as I watched the scene unravel in front of me.

"Emily!" He cried, pushing his way through.

Instantly, she turned around to see him coming toward her. She looked as though she was going to break down in tears. He moved toward her as he broke through the last line of men. There were now no men stopping him from going toward her. He delicately walked toward her; his eyes set on her the entire walk up to her. Finally, he stood face-to-face with Emily in front of the entire army of men watching intently.

"Here we go," Caspian whispered to me, at which I hit him lightly.

I didn't know if either of them were going to say anything for the longest time or rather just stare at each other. It may have not been a secret that Emily and Stephen were rather close friends, but what happened next was completely out of both their comfort zones.

"Yes?" She asked, tears brimming in her eyes through the moonlight that was peeking through the thick clouds.

"Be strong," he whispered again as he stepped closer to her. They were now standing even closer.

Rushing forward, like a thief in the night, he placed both of his hands on her face and pressed his lips against hers passionately. We watched their embrace as conversation passed through the crowd of men, shocked. I couldn't help but feel a certain light-hearted happiness flooding throughout my entire body. They were so sweet; I couldn't help but feel so happy for the both of them and even a little scared. Emily was still at risk. This could make their time apart even more painful, but I was hardly focused much on that.

"Can't say I didn't see this coming," Caspian whispered to me again, finding quite a bit of humor in this.

I looked at him with a serious look on my face and said," It's adorable, don't make a mockery of it."

He laughed under his breath," Too late."

"Caspian!" I scolded, hitting him again. "You did almost the same thing if I do remember correctly?"

"Surely it wasn't that obviously?" He asked, trying to stifle his laughter.

"You're completely ruining the moment," I said to him, shaking my head and trying not to smile.

"My apologies," he answered, still smiling like a opossum. I hardly think he meant it.

After my husband had finished making the very sweet moment into a comedy, I turned my attention back to them as they broke away.

Color was rushing to the both of their faces, but before she could turn away; she said to him," I love you."

He grabbed her hand, squeezed it tight and said," And I you."

With that, she turned on her heel and left our sight, into the dense, dark forest. En route to the castle.

* * *

Emily couldn't exactly place her feelings. She felt a certain fear running through her veins as she pulled her hood over her face and trotted through the thick forest, but then again the tingle was still on her lips from where Stephen had kissed her. She felt as though she could float away, but at the same time she knew that she had a mission to do. She couldn't think about Stephen for that would only make her become unfocused. She remembered how hard it had been to tell him this and how she was not going to be stopped just because of her emotions.

This journey was much bigger than just her. This journey was a matter of life or death. For the entire country.

With every crunch of the sticks that lay under her feet, she felt as though she was stepping closer to her destiny that lie inside those castle walls. She could picture them perfectly inside her head as she passed through the dense forest. She could picture the brick walls surrounding the castle and the towers that stood so proudly. In her mind, she was walking inside the castle again. It was back whenever the days were peaceful and children could be seen frolicking through the courtyard. Though it may have been a brief period of time, it still happened. It was still real, even though it was not the present situation.

She quickened her pace as the memories came flooding to her head. They spurred her even more to want to get to the castle. She still did not know for sure how she was to get inside, but she thought that the least heavily guarded route would be through the stables. She would need to make many more decisions, but that was for her to worry about later. She allowed her mind to wander to other thoughts as she continued on alone. It appeared as though she were making decent timing, but she had no evidence of this. All it was, was just a mere assumption.

Even though she knew she was alone in the forest, she couldn't help but look back every once and a while to be completely sure. After checking several times and making herself feel very paranoid, she stopped in her tracks. There was a break in the thickness of the trees and she stood looking everywhere.

_Crack!_

She jumped, but merely started to take another step.

_Crack!_

Something was most definitely following her. She couldn't have been that crazy. There were more cracks all around of something or someone moving closer to her. Quickly, she grabbed her weapon and pointed it all around. She was standing still once more.

Then, suddenly, breaking through the silence, this "something" pounced on her and knocked her to the ground. Reacting fast, she tried rolling over to trap it, whatever "it" was.

"Get-off-of-me!" A muffled screech came from underneath her as she felt a sharp prod in her underside.

Confused, Emily pulled away from the thing under her. She looked around from her place on the ground and saw many…_mice_ pointing their tiny swords at her. A smile came to her face as she looked down at the mice that had attacked her. There was a small cut on her abdomen, but it hardly hurt for she was now in good company.

_Reepicheep._

"How dare you _roll_ on a mice of my rank? I will have to inform King Caspian himself of this!" The fiery mice climbed to his feet and pressed the sword right into Emily's face.

"Reepicheep?" She asked, rather confused to be finding the mice and his troop here. They should have been with Caspian's men all along. In fact, she was sure that those back at camp had assumed that the worst had happened to them.

"Y-yes, I am that, but you will not be treated as-" The mice paused and looked into the girl's eyes," Wait, how did you know my name?"

Emily pulled herself to her knees," I'm Emily. I'm one of King Caspian's servants. King Caspian's formed an army and has sent me to sneak into the castle. I'm on _your _side."

"Emily?" The mouse asked incredulously scrutinizing my face. " Well, why didn't you just say so? You are the personal servant to Queen Rosalie herself, are you not?"

"Yes, I am," she answered, a brilliant smile coming to her face. " And I haven't much time to talk here, but if you are willing to assist me in sneaking into the castle…then we can talk as we travel."

"Why, if what you say is true and Caspian has formed an army, then we would be more than thrilled to help the cause! I assume you are getting into the castle to plan your attack before actually going through with it," he spouted off before he looked around to the other mice and gave them a nod of the head," We're all clear men. Now, we are to assist Lady Emily in sneaking into the castle. No danger here."

I stood to my feet and looked down at Reepicheep once more," Let us be on our way then."

She felt a comfort in not being entirely alone, but still wondered just how the mice were alive and why they had not been with Caspian that entire time.

* * *

"You must understand that we mice are not phased by the vulgarity of nymphs and found it unnecessary for us to stay around. We found that if we were to try and make our way back to the castle then perhaps we could get them the help they needed. It was until recently that we were being held in captivity as well. Having made it all the way back to the castle, a very cruel man spotted us and found us to be quite the entertainment as he set his cat upon us. He was rather shocked when he found his cat was no match for us mice, you see," Reepicheep explained to Emily with joy as they continued to travel through the dark woods; the moonlight overhead was now fading once more behind the thick clouds.

"So you saw the defeat of Caspian's army?" Emily asked tentatively after several moments.

"Oh yes, and quite awful it was. I wouldn't be surprised if he never wish to speak of it again. We might have stood a chance had they not come upon us in the night, breaking all etiquette of battle. Very few men were actually prepared for battle, unlike what some others may tell you. It was very embarrassing indeed and though the men tried to get to the weapons; Jacob had already infiltrated the weapons and was, in fact, using them against us.

"I don't really know how he produced such a large force of men, but he seemed to have done it. It didn't take long for Jacob to enter Caspian's tent and announce his taking over of the throne. General was able to hide himself well enough that time, but I saw him for the traitor he was. I suppose that Jacob didn't want Caspian to know right away that General had betrayed him."

Emily nodded along before saying," Well, we've actually found out a lot about Jacob in the last little bit."

"Have you now?" The mouse responded, very interested as they moved onward.

And thus she continued to explain all that had happened over the last few weeks. From the death of Cornelius to the destruction of the spirit town.

"That is quite the story you've got!" Reepicheep exclaimed, several minutes later as they pressed on still surrounded in complete darkness.

"It really _is_ quite unbelievable," Emily commented as she recollected on how intriguing the story really was while also noticing that the trees were not nearly as thick as they used to be.

"But not surprising I must say! It is very like that scoundrel Jacob to conjure up something as dire as brainwashing poor, unfortunate souls. How appalling!" The mouse exclaimed as Emily noticed they were now climbing a ridge. She rather enjoyed having the company of the mice. They, especially Reepicheep, were quite entertaining. She assumed that she would soon be reaching Telmar, however.

"Ah! So it appears we have reached the castle once more, men!" The mouse exclaimed to his followers, but Emily saw no castle. All she saw was a steep ridge that they were still climbing, with sharp rocks here and there. It was still quite the incline.

"Castle?" Emily asked as she watched the mice run far ahead of her to the peak of the ridge.

She tried to quicken her pace and just as she reached the top of the ridge, Reepicheep pointed," That castle, my lady."

Just enough moonlight was breaking through the clouds for her to see that the castle was standing tall in the darkness. The towers were just as prominent as before, though as she looked closer through the dull moonlight, she saw that severe wounds had been inflicted upon the castle. There were several large chunks that seemed to be missing from the castle. Not only that, but the houses toward the outside of town were nearly destroyed completely, nothing was left but the frame of the farms.

Emily couldn't help but put a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp.

"It _is_ rather…_unpleasant_," Reepicheep said as the mice lined up along the top of the ridge.

"Whenever I ask you which way would be the best to get into the castle, which would you tell me, Reep?" Emily asked, after several moments of staring in shock.

She wanted to receive a second opinion.

"The stables," the mouse answered after contemplating for several moments," I would say that there is little need for horses with Jacob in command."

"I haven't much of a plan, Reepicheep, but I do need to get inside the castle to meet with Trina and Penelope. Should I need a diversion-"

"You needn't worry about a thing," the mouse assured her and with that, they traveled down the hillside toward the castle.

**Author's Note: So, originally, I had planned for this chapter to be Emily's sneaking into the castle, but I realized that we needed to re-meet Reepicheep again. Sooo, it really only means good things for you guys, but more work for me! Haha, I'm joking, of course.**

**Anyway, I feel like I _had_ to put in the Stephen/Emily moment. And some of the humor with Caspian, as well. I hope you guys don't despise me too much for sending Emily...**

**And I'm going to set a goal. Though I know we are still quite far away, I think it would be cool to get 200 reviews before this story is over. You guys can do it because, quite frankly, you're awesome! :D Thanks a lot guys and I truly mean it. **


	35. Not Even One

**Disclaimer: Okay, so I don't own much other than Rosalie and a couple others, but for the most part Narnia and all its inhabitants belong to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Thirty-Five: Not Even One

Emily, alongside the troop of mice, made her way down the hillside. There was still quite a bit of ground that needed to be covered and even when they reached the city gates; they needed to stay hidden. They stayed along the outskirts of town, careful to stay only in the darkest of shadows.

The atmosphere of Telmar had completely changed. Even though it was late at night, there were still plenty of Jacob's men charging around the streets. There were very few people that were actually out and about, but the few that were could hardly avoid being harassed. A woman stepped out of her home briefly, just to look down the street and before she could shut her door Jacob's men were storming her house.

Emily could hardly believe her eyes.

"That's awful," she muttered under her breath.

"They're mentally unstable!" The mice cried as quietly as he could. "They don't know what they're doing, but Jacob can't risk even one person stepping out a line."

The woman shrieked as they pulled the rest of her family into the street and repeatedly whipped them with the leather strap they held at their belt. Tears came to Emily's eyes...those people hadn't done anything wrong. If this was what Telmar had come to, then she wanted no part of this monarchy. The sight of the woman and her family being beat pushed her to want to get Rosalie and Caspian back where they belonged as soon as possible.

They stood there for several more moments in complete shock before Reepicheep objected," Let's go. It's useless to stand around and watch this nonsense."

They crept along the backs of houses and in side alleys all throughout Telmar until they reached the castle walls. Emily gazed upon the top of the walls and noticed a patrol walking along the top. Swiftly, she motioned the mice toward the side of the wall, careful not to step out of line. They shimmied along the side of the wall until, in the distance, they could see the horse stable jutting out from a break in the wall.

"Reep, do you know about where the giants may be housed?" Emily whispered quietly as they inched closer to the stables.

"They'll be way off in the distance. Jacob probably won't call them in from the woods unless he's in absolute need of them. They're not the most intelligent creatures so they know better than to wander too far."

Emily nodded her head. This gave her somewhat more of a peace of mind, but not much.

They were coming close to the stables. It appeared as though there were still roughly three men standing at the entrance to the stables.

"Leave them to us!" Reepicheep squeaked as they inched closer.

Emily was going to stop him, but before she could make any sort of a scene; they were gone. She watched their little tails run off. They wouldn't have much a challenge for it seemed as though the men were dozing into sleep. Before the men could even open their eyes to see what had happened, the mice had sliced them up. One of them seemed to realize what was gong on, but he couldn't even place a hand on his weapon.

"C'mon!" Reepicheep quietly called to Emily after the last one was finished.

She looked up to make sure no one was overhead and quickly sprinted to the stables in the shadows. With a deep breath of air, she followed the mice, making sure to crotch down to prevent being seen through the open stable.

All around, Emily noticed horses, but not the proud majestic creatures that could usually be found in that stable. In stead, she saw many pathetic-looking horses that seemed to have little desire to do anything other than lean against their stall and whine. It broke Emily's heart when she saw all of these horses with large gashes over their back and midsection; what kind of sick individual would do this to an animal? Then she remembered who she was dealin with here and who would have called the attack of these horses.

Just as they reached the entrance to the castle, Emily noticed that Kingslee, Rosalie's horse, was standing at the end stall. Her head was pressed against the stall and eyes closed shut. Emily knew that if Rosalie had seen this, then she would have been very broken-hearted, but most of all, angry.

Kingslee slowly raised her head and noticed the crew passing by her stall. Emily looked at the horse one last time and she may have been seeing things, but it was almost as if a small smile came to the horse's face. She was baffled by this, but had little time to react for Reepicheep was barking orders at her.

"Hide! They're coming!"

Emily looked all over, but heard a quiet grunt-like sound come from Kingslee. Puzzled, she looked at the horse and noticed her motioning with her head for Emily to get into the stall. Emily hesitated, but hadn't much of choice before the doors from the castle where thrown open. She climbed into the stall with Kingslee, hiding behind the wall in the stable.

"Oi! What'd you hear down here?" One of the men coming through the door cried as he ran after his fellow men.

"The wall patrol said that they're three men dead down here. We need to find out why!" The other man said as two other men followed in their footsteps.

"Prob'bly got trampled by these rabid horses…I say we finish them once and for all…" The other said with a stupid laugh.

"They may not be the most intelligent men, but they're smart enough to avoid being tramped by a horse," The main man said, as they examined the bodies. "Plus, you know why we could never get rid of the horses. For some reason, the King's got a real fond attachment to them."

Emily believed this to be true because he and his father used to ride horses all the time. That was probably the only reason he kept Kingslee, since it originally was his father's horse. Otherwise, he would have slaughtered her just for the mere memory of his sister. It was ironic; however, that the horses were in such bad condition. She wondered if perhaps someone else, such as General, had treated them so horrendously.

"These are sword wounds, someone's got to be in the stables or at least nearby. They can't be too far," The man announced after several more moments causing Emily's heart to pound crazily. "You two, search the perimeter and we'll take the stables."

"'ight!" The two grangly men cried and left the stables while the other two came waltzing back into the stables.

"We know you're in here and let's make this process a whole lot easier," The man said with a certain growl to his voice as he kicked open one of the stables.

Suddenly, just as he did that, Kingslee started whinnying out of control and going completely mad. Emily wanted to kill the horse at that very moment, but just before the man could let out a frightened swear, he released a blood curling scream. The other man looking through the stables with him had opened a stable and released an equally blistering scream.

Slowly, Emily peered over the edge of the stable and noticed the horses, once dead (appearance speaking), were now trampling over both of the men, violently. She looked up at Kingslee. It was as though they were merely waiting for her word to attack. This was what they had been waiting for. Swiftly, the horse put its head over the edge and released her own gate. This whole time, she was waiting for the right moment when all along she _could_ have released herself.

Emily stood in amazement and watched the horse trod herself out of the stall and give a valliant nod to Emily. Those were two less men they would have to worry about.

"Go to Rosalie. I assume you've known where she is this entire time, haven't you?" Emily said with a smile on her face to the horse, who had started a trend and now each and every horse was releasing their own gate, whinnying as though their life depended upon it. Not even one was left out.

Not wanting to leave without giving an answer, Kingslee turned back to Emily and gave a violent shake of the head. Emily smiled and the entire stable was then filled with horses, wild and ready to leave. Within moments, Kingslee had moved herself to the front of the stable and was sprinting as quickly as possible, creating a stampede of horses.

"Emily! Now, would be a splendid time to enter the castle. They're going to be quite distracted with trying to find their horses," Reepicheep cried from the door entering the castle.

Emily nodded to them and looked back one more time to watch the horses leaving the stable with a smile on her face.

* * *

Emily had to stifle a laugh as she hid in one of the cupboards after entering the castle, as many men ran by, swearing and chasing after the lot of horses. After she was sure they were gone for the time being, she signaled the mice army, who were in the cupboard across the corridor, and they all moved out quietly.

The feel of being in the castle again was wonderful, but Emily couldn't help but notice that the air wasn't near as chipper as when Caspian and Rosalie were ruling the nation. Trying to force that to the back of her mind, she led them to the end of the ground-level corridor to the back stairwell, where she doubted that many people would have known of, other than the servants.

She led the way through the dark stairwell, feeling along the wall to keep balance. The mice scurried along behind at her heels, trying to be as silent as possible. They climbed level after level until Emily figured that they had reached the top level of the castle, where the throne room and other important quarters would be.

As she poked her head out the side of the door to look down the corridor, she noticed guards patrolling the corridor. At that current moment, they were at the opposite end, but she assumed they would be coming down to where they were soon enough.

"My lady," Reepicheep whispered," Allow us to-"

The door to the throne room was slightly ajar. Emily could hear voices coming from the room and realized that something of importance could be going on in there. Should Reepicheep and his army as they scurry across the corridor and make _any_ sort of noise, then the entire room would be aware of their presence and that was a risk she could not take.

"Reepicheep, wait for them to come to us."

The mouse started to run off, but stopped when he heard her voice. He knew not to argue, as badly as he wanted to. They hid in the shadows of the stairs and waited for the men to make their round.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT, PENELOPE!" Jacob, presumably, screamed from the throne room.

Emily, a puzzled look on her face, ignored his yell, briefly, as she continued to watch the men, who were growing closer by the minute. Reepicheep and his mice positioned themselves in the perfect position to spring. They came as far as the stairwell and just as they noticed the troop; Reepicheep sent his mice to attack. The men hardly even knew what hit them. She was beginning to become more and more graceful for these mice by the minute. Emily noticed a cupboard just beside the stairs; she pulled one of the men by his shoe into the cupboard and closed it. The mice helped to push the other man in, but Emily, once again, did most of the work.

She knew that it was useless to search much farther for Penelope since they now knew where she was and that they would hardly be able to do much of anything until this meeting was over. Placing a finger over her lips to signal silence, she inched closer to the doors to get a better idea of just what was going on in the throne room.

"Why is General not here, Penelope?" Jacob demanded, Emily looked around the cracked door and saw just a glimpse of the throne room.

It was as though all of the beauty that once had been in the throne room had been drained. Jacob was wearing a rather large cape with fur trimming that seemed rather unnecessary. Cuts were all up and down the men who were standing around the room, presumably his council, but not a scar lay upon Jacob's face. Emily also noticed that there was a woman sitting with her legs dangled over the edge of the throne. She had deeply tanned skin and was quite beautiful, but Emily had never seen her before. She noticed Penelope standing near the window as her brother lectured her; she could not see the front of Penelope's face, but merely her long, dark hair that cascaded down half of her back as her brother spoke to her. The servant girl didn't dare try to look around anymore and quickly moved her head away from the crack to simply listen and avoid being seen.

"Jacob, I don't know. He gave me a timeline of when he was going to be getting more men, but I haven't a clue," A strong young woman's voice said, Emily assumed this to be Penelope.

"If I might interject something," A more mature, heavily accented woman's voice said, the woman at the throne," There's rumor going around that someone has started a rebellion in the direction that General has been sent. Word has it that your sister has-"

"Don't speak of my sister," Jacob growled at her.

"I'm only saying what I've heard, Jacob," She defended, sounding as though she was quite frustrated.

"Listen to me, Jacob," The same female voice said, " Your sister could have given General some problems. If I remember you saying this, then I believe you banished Caspian to that area in which you sent General. Is it possible that Rosalie could be trying to throw a wrench in General's plan with the help of her…husband?"

Emily gulped.

"That's ridiculous!" Jacob scoffed. " I banished that disgrace of a man. Plus, where I sent him is a place that is nearly impossible for any man to come out of with a clear head. I doubt that if my sister found her pathetic little husband, she would want him back. The nymphs have quite a way of words when it comes to…men. Any of them would be a complete fool to try and make an attack on this castle. They haven't any help coming from these walls as they may think they do."

_He's wrong, _Emily thought to herself with a smile on her face.

A few male chuckles echoed in the air, Emily assumed this must be the council members.

"Though it is…_unlikely_, your majesty, what are you to do if this has happened?" One of the male members asked.

There was a silence in the air.

"What is all of this talk of rebellion? I want to hear nothing more of it; we are simply getting off the main question that I've been trying to get answered. That question being where is General? Let it be assumed that Rosalie and her husband are dead. No one else is to be caught even mentioning their names," Jacob nearly exploded on his followers, which left for an awkward silence. "They will NEVER be coming back here. And I've a plan secured if they try for I think I've a decent idea of how they might be trying to infiltrate the system, but Penelope, Natalia, and I all know that they will not win."

_Natalia. _That must have been the woman sitting on the throne. Emily's curiosities over this plan that Jacob had developed was growing even more steady by the moment. There was only one thing Emily could do at that point and it was talk to Penelope. If Penelope had changed, then it was what it was. Emily couldn't back down then, not after all she had gone through just to get there.

"Now, Penelope, my dear sister, you've the rest of the evening to figure out just what happened to General. Then, I will send you out on that stupid horse of yours to go and find our head of militia," Jacob ordered.

Emily couldn't help but chuckle at the mention of a horse.

Emily took this as their invitation to retreat to the stairwell. She waved the mice back and they moved as quickly as they could. Just as they hid in the stairs, the doors to the throne room flew open. Out came Penelope and plenty of the other men. Some of them came toward the stairwell, while others, such as Penelope retreated to their quarters.

Silently, Emily and the mice moved farther up the stairs to prevent being seen. Just in case, she grabbed the knife that hung at her belt. Holding her breath, they stood at the stairs and watched around the corner as the men came around and traveled down the stairs. Feeling as though it was now completely empty she moved slowly down the stairs. She watched as Jacob, alongside the deeply tanned woman, Natalia, strolled down the opposite end of the corridor. Silently, she placed the knife back at her waist.

Just as Jacob opened the door to what used to be Caspian and Rosalie's bedchambers, Emily heard him say to the woman beside him," You look exhausted, are you sure you're doing alright?"

She nodded meekly to him as she moved into the bedchamber, Jacob did one more look up and down the corridor, but just as the woman was moving into the chamber; she noticed something. Though it may have been a stretch, Emily could have sworn that she saw a ring on her finger as she placed a hand on the wall, as if steadying herself before entering.

"Reepicheep, do you know who that woman-" Emily whispered hastily to the mouse as they followed Penelope's footsteps down the corridor.

Before she could get an answer, the mouse was already down the hallway, nearly ready to knock on the door that Penelope had entered. Emily sprinted to catch up with them. She took a deep breath in; this was it. Careful not to knock too loud, she rapped on the door and waited in agony.

Several moments passed before the door flew open. Emily's heart was beating wildly once more.

"Whatever you-" Penelope started rambling as if she were yelling at her brother, but at the sight of Emily, she nearly started crying. Knowing she had to be silent, she pulled her in and tightly embraced her. The mice assured Emily they would keep watch outside. Emily was now feeling some mort comfort at the way that Penelope had greeted her. Jacob really was the one who was being fooled, or so it seemed for the time being.

"Emily, why are you here? You're risking so much by being here, but…Aslan knows I've been waiting for someone...anything to come from one of you. I was nearly ready to come and find you all myself, but really why are you here? What do you need? How can I help?" Penelope spewed off, walking Emily back to her sitting area, still talking in a low voice.

"They needed someone to come and speak with you, Penelope. We need to come up with a plan. Caspian's re-formed his army and needs a way to get the advantage on Jacob. He thought that either you or Trina could assist us in getting the castle at its weakest. Or that you could at least assist us when we do come to Telmar," Emily poured out her heart to Penelope as if they had not been apart for long at all.

"I guess we really don't have time for the details, but all I want to know is how many men you've recruited in this army?" Penelope asked, whispering still.

Emily pondered it for a moment," Not the size of a normal army. We've maybe a little over a hundred men. This is why we're in need of your assistance."

Penelope nodded her head, understanding as she began to pace. For several moments, Emily thought that Penelope was not going to say a word, but suddenly it was as though a miraculous thought had hit her. All of this was happening so fast that it was rather surreal to Emily.

"I've just been told to go out searching for General. All I would need do is convince him to allow me to take a troop of his savage men with me, which won't take much," Penelope whisper-exclaimed to Emily, who was nodding. "Sometimes, I forget how much he actually trusts me."

"Could you lead them directly into Caspian's army?" Emily asked. "Assuming that, of course, I tell you where their camp is and that Jacob actually gives you a troop of men. Jacob wouldn't have a clue what was going on and by the time that he finds out then you would have been long departed."

A smile came to Penelope's face. A smile that Emily had seen on Rosalie's face plenty of times," You and I seem to think alike, Emily."

Emily returned the smile, but before she could say anything Penelope began speaking again.

"We'll have to inform Trina as well," she said quickly.

Emily nodded," And where exactly is Trina?"

Penelope swallowed hard before saying," Where every other traitor is…locked away in the dungeons. She's lucky because she's of some importance to Jacob since she's Apollo's wife and all; the others are slowly being sent to the gallows."

Emily's heart seemed to be on pause," That's terrible."

"That's Jacob. He's got little forgiveness in his heart. Mostly just bitterness and he's trying to fill that gap with something. Therefore, he's locking away anyone who's ever had anything to do with the one who caused all his pain, that being our sister," Penelope explained somberly. "Anyways, I can explain most of the other details after we move on. The faster I can come up with a story to tell Jacob, probably the better it is for both you and me."

Penelope walked down the small corridor in her quarters and returned several moments later with a pair a thick boots on. After throwing open a cupboard, she pulled out a small sword that she seemed to keep tucked away and placed it at her belt.

"Do you remember where the dungeons are located?" Penelope asked, pulling her cloak from the hook near the door.

"Yes," Emily replied, watching as Penelope scurried about hecticly.

"While I'm informing Jacob of this, you are to go and free Trina. Here are the keys," Penelope pulled the key off from around her neck and tossed them to Emily. "Best of luck to you."

Before Penelope pulled open the door, Emily warned her," The mice. Reepicheep-"

"Reepicheep?" Penelope asked, confused, as if she had never heard of a mouse by this name.

Emily furrowed her brow at Penelope. She knew that Penelope had met Reepicheep on several different occasions…why was she seemingly forgetting him now? Emily didn't think too much on the matter, perhaps she would recognize him after seeing him. Emily was sure that a lot had happened to Emily emotionally and that it wasn't anything she should have been concerned about. She followed Penelope out the door, but she noticed that the mice were gone.

"Reepicheep-the mice- they were right here!" Emily said quietly, but Penelope was still clueless as to what had happened.

"How about you explain this to me later?" Penelope offered, turning toward her brother's quarters.

Emily wanted to say something. She wanted to say how peculiar it was that just before the mice went missing that Penelope seemed to have forgotten entirely about them when Emily knew that she knew the mice. Another thing she wanted to know was who the woman was that Jacob seemed to be linked to. She stared at Penelope peculiarly for a few moments. Despite her curiosities, Emily turned the opposite way and left for the dungeons.

* * *

The castle seemed to be empty as she traveled down level by level, not seeing a single guard on duty. She found this to be rather odd, but pressed on to the dungeons despite this fact. After crossing the courtyard with no interruptions, Emily knew that something had to be going on. All she wanted to do now was find Trina, get her out and then go to Penelope before she was caught.

After some remembering, she found the stairway that led down to the tunnels which would eventually bring her to the prison. She picked up the pace as she ran through the underground tunnels, careful not to stumble over anything in the dark. At every turn, she tried remembering just which way would lead her to the prison cells. She knew that she had picked the right tunnels after she finally stopped and right in front of her lay eight cells, brimming with prisoners.

Before Emily could become too excited, she noticed a guard with his back turned to her, at that moment. Her heart skipped a beat as she placed a hand on her knife. She looked down at the knife and then to the back of the man's head. This was a knife that Stephen had given her. While everyone else had been away planning for battle, he had given her one as they remembered the inn.

She couldn't let him down.

Slowly, she picked the knife up behind her head and heaved the sharp object at the man. Her heart stopped beating once more for the several seconds that the knife was in the air. For a moment, she questioned if it would even hit him or not, but just as the man turned around; it caught him right in the chest.

His eyes were wide as he fell backwards, dead.

"Emily!" Trina exclaimed, but it was not a happy sort of exclamation. In fact, Emily would have thought Trina was quite the opposite.

Ignoring the fact that her knife was in the man's chest, she scurried over to the cell in which the light-headed woman sat and shoved the key in.

"Emily _why _are you here?" Trina demanded, still with a rather angered tone. "_How_ did you get those keys?"

"Penelope. I was sent from Caspian to rende-"

"Emily, please tell me you didn't go to Penelope. _Please_," the woman practically begged Emily with tears forming in her eyes.

Regret started to fill Emily's heart as she unlocked several other cells, trying to take her mind off of what she had just done.

"Penelope's been brainwashed-" Trina started as she joined Emily outside of the cell.

"What?" Emily exclaimed, opening another cell for the servants who were slumbered in the corners, amazed that help was finally coming to them. Emily hadn't a clue how long they had been sitting down there.

"Jacob didn't trust her after Rosalie escaped, Emily. He knew that she was working with both sides, but he didn't know that she was actually on our side. He was under the impression that she really _was_ on his side. He didn't have any proof that she was directly linked with it, but he didn't want to take the risk that she was still communicating with us…so he brainwashed her," Trina explained, very quickly as Emily unlocked the last two cells. " He sent his own sister down to suffer with those hideous creatures."

"Then why did she recognize me?" Emily asked, still unable to believe that this was really happening.

"Jacob's got her trained to recognize all of you as friends at first, but to report to him as soon as she's met you. He knew that one of you was going to try at some point to communicate with her again so he protected himself by making her put on the façade that she really was on your side. It's very complex brainwashing, but he's done it. He can't risk even one person betraying him."

Emily shook her head, still in shock that this was happening. She knew that there was a way to get out of the cells by maneuvering through the tunnels, but Penelope was really the only person she had ever heard of successfully making her way through them. As she was thinking about escape, she was also thinking about how odd Penelope was acting...it all made sense and she couldn't have felt more idiotic.

There were many things that she wanted to ask Trina, such as who Natalia is, why Trina was really locked up, and just where Trina's children were this entire time, but she settled for one question that seemed to cover the problem for the time being.

"Then what do we do now?" Emily asked with a frantic tone to her voice as they crowded up the stairs to start their trek.

"Stay right where you are," A familiar male voice said from the shadows.

Jacob stepped forward with a large smirk on his face as he laughed.

**Author's Note: Don't be too upset yet! Just keep reading! I've got lots of explaining to do, I know...**

**We're at 178 now…22 more to go. Ya'll can do it :D**


	36. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

**Disclaimer: I own very little :D**

Chapter Thirty Six: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Emily stood with wide eyes as Jacob approached her from the shadows. A wide smile was on his face as Penelope stepped out alongside him with a matching smirk. Betrayal was the most unhonorable things a person could do, in Penelope's eyes, but could she really consider it betrayal if it was forced? She knew that she could not, but that pinge of hatred toward Penelope could not be silenced. Still, Emily knew that she could not say a word to them. She couldn't even mention Rosalie. Although, she doubted it mattered much since Penelope had probably told him everything that was to happen. He probably knew all of Caspian's plans that he had worked out should things take a turn for the worse.

"I thought that, perhaps, we may hit this snag in the road eventually," Jacob said with a sigh as he approached Emily. "I thought that _maybe_ my pathetic little sister would send someone else in her place rather than face me herself, but I had rather hoped that she would place herself above such childish methods. What a shame." He shook his head in shame and clicked his tongue.

Emily wanted to say something in response to Jacob, but she knew that anything she said would be more information that Jacob would know about Caspian and Rosalie deep out in the forest. She knew that no matter how hard he pressed her then she would have to stay silent. He couldn't know a single detail. She kept on repeating a mantra to herself to stay quiet.

"Now, men I'm going to have to ask you to escort these lovely men and women back to their cells as I escort Miss Emily up to my own quarters so that we can have a more private conversation about all of this," Jacob said with a snap of his fingers, summoning a burly man to step forward from behind him to take the prisoner's back to their cells.

Emily's eyes shot over to Trina, who only shook her head, telling Emily there was nothing more that could be done at the moment. Just as the man was about to grab Trina's frail arm, Jacob stopped him.

"Except for _that_ one, it seems as though she may be of some importance to this little event anyways," Jacob said with a pleasant tone at first, but rather growled the last part of the sentence as he motioned toward Trina.

Emily's eyes watched painfully as the man ordered the feeble servants back into their cells. The area was so crowded that it was hard for them to move at the speed that the man was expecting them to move at. After several moments of waiting impatiently, he finally grabbed one of the younger servants by the collar and threw them to the floor.

"Move faster!" He roared.

"He can't!" Emily outburst, unable to hide her feelings. "Leave them alone."

The burly man started to charge toward the young girl, but Jacob put a hand up and yelled," Stay calm. She is not worth your effort, just do what _I _tell you and ignore this little pest."

Anger was still raging in Emily as the man stared intensely at her. She wanted nothing more than to take her knife, which she just remembered was still in the chest of the dead man several feet behind her, and finish him right there, but she knew that was not very plausible. Especially since she did not foresee getting her knife back anytime soon.

After several more moments of staring at Emily, enraged, he turned back to throwing the servants back into their cells. Before he came back up the stairs, he pulled the knife from his fellow man's chest, shaking off the excess blood as he walked back up, step by step. With a look of pure disgust on his face, he placed the knife into Jacob's hand.

"A bloodied knife and a dead man…hmmm?" Jacob said looking from the knife to Emily. "It doesn't take much thinking to figure out that we've a little murderer on our hands."

"Like you haven't already done worse to them? They weren't living any-" Emily started, unable to bite her tongue.

"Silence!" Jacob barked at her as he came one step closer. "Don't try to justify yourself. We'll have plenty of time to discuss this one-on-one," He growled at her just before grabbing her wrist tightly and turning on his heel.

"Keep a look on Trina. I want her brought along, but as for now, Miss Emily and I are going to have a private conversation that I do not wish to be disturbed."

* * *

Before Emily could object much, she found herself standing inside the bleak throne room that she had once only been on the outside looking in. She really hadn't liked the way it looked from the outside and at that moment as she stood in the middle of the throne room; she couldn't help but feel sick. Trina was being kept in the corridor just outside of the throne room and as Emily looked around to see all that was in the throne room. She hardly had time to make much of an observation before Jacob began speaking to her from his perch on Caspian's throne.

"Where is she?" Jacob barked at Emily. "Where is the little brat that sent you here?"

"I'm afraid that's confidential," Emily replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jacob smiled, a humorless smile," I don't think you understand the severity of your not cooperating. Can't we at least be cordial now, Emily? We've been friends for quite some time now that it seems like such a shame for all of it to be thrown out the window over something silly such as this?"

"You never cared about me," Emily said simply, looking directly at him. "Rosalie did, but you were always much more concerned in other things."

Jacob looked away proudly as he grasped the sides of the throne tighter," Fine," he said simply," That's the way you're going to be?"

Emily felt as though he deserved no answer, so she stayed silent.

He slowly rose from his seat and moved toward Emily with narrowed eyes," Rosalie is on the losing side here, Emily. Surely even _you_ can see that?"

The servant girl swallowed hard, standing her ground as Jacob came closer to her with a nasty scowl on his face," What did you really think you could do in coming here? There's no way that Rosalie could ever come up with a force that would even be comparable to that of what I have developed here. Plus, I would not advise her to ever step foot here again."

Emily's eyes watched him very closely when she asked," And why's that?"

"The people view her as a spineless leader. They feel that she abandoned them and as far as I'm concerned, that's the truth. She _did_ abandon them. She abandoned her nation when they were being attacked…how much more _pitiable _could you become?" Jacob asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "It merely baffles me is all."

"And why should I believe you?" She cut her eyes at Jacob, who had began pacing around her.

"It's evident, Emily," Jacob said right in Emily's ear. "Just wait until morning, I'll show you. I'll allow you to walk through the town itself and should you mention Rosalie's name; they will curse you. It's only the truth."

Emily was still not going to believe this until she saw it for herself. For some reason, she felt as though Jacob was still buttering her up. She was sick of this and would have rather he just get on with what he planned on doing with her or trying to convince her to do.

"I'll believe it whenever I see it," Emily growled at him. She started to back away from him, just to create a more comfortable atmosphere.

"Where is she, Emily?" Jacob growled back, coming closer and closer. "What are they planning?"

"Hasn't Penelope already told you everything you need to know?" Emily muttered to him, a nasty glare still on her face.

Jacob chuckled as he took a few steps away from her," No, she didn't in fact."

"You brainwashed her. Trina told me what you did to her and you brainwashed her! Surely you must-"

"Fool!" Jacob howled and then started rolling with laughter. "Do you not understand what the term brainwashing means? After the Cruels were done with her, she had no recollection of _anything_. Why do you think I did it? I had no interest of learning your little plans, though it would have been nice; she was much too stubborn to actually tell me. I saw that it would be a waste of manpower to try and pry it out of her. I also thought that it would be a waste of a human life to just kill her. She was still very cunning and, not to mention, my only real sister. By brainwashing her, I could erase any suspicions I had that she was working behind my back. I was right to be paranoid because she had been the entire time. Erasing her memory gave me complete control over her. All things that were in her past are gone."

Emily shook her head in complete shock. She was slightly relieved that he had said this. It may have been too late to win back Penelope's allegiance, but at least Jacob had gained nothing out of the deal. At least, he had been forced to do what he did not desire to. He hadn't gotten his way because Penelope had been much too strong.

"You're disgusting," Emily gritted her teeth together as he hovered over her once more.

"And you're avoiding my questions, Emily," Jacob said with a small smirk.

She eyed him carefully as she started to move backward, away from him. Noticing the knife in his hand, she knew that he must have been serious. He was mentally unstable enough to where he would brainwash his own sister and attack his own nation; just how far was he willing to go? She didn't think he would have a problem with taking care of her right then. With every step, she felt a little more comforted by being away from him, but when she felt the cold wall behind her; she gulped.

"What has she done? Hmm?" Jacob asked, stepping closer to Emily waving the knife threateningly at her. "I'm not going to kill you Emily, but I must warn you that I hope that if you plan on lying to me then you aren't very fond of the current mind you have."

So that was his plan. He wanted to get the information out of Emily, but if he didn't then it wouldn't be much of a problem because he could just send her off to be brainwashed. She was disposable, just like Penelope was. Emily knew that she couldn't tell him anything. In her head, she was already forming a plan. If she kept her lips sealed for the entire night, then he were to send her out to be brainwashed in the morning…they would run into Caspian's army. Jacob didn't realize that and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She had to alert Caspian of this and there were several ways it could go wrong, but it was still a possibility.

All the while, she kept her eyes on the knife that was in Jacob's hand that he had pulled from his pocket. It was her knife. The one he had just conviscated. He asked plenty of other questions, but she could hardly think of anything she could say that would not give away Rosalie and Caspian. She imagined Stephen, sitting at his desk, carving the very knife that lay in Jacob's hand. It was ironic that Jacob was probably going to finish her with that very knife. Silence was golden.

She had been backing up without thinking much of it. All she was doing was keeping space between her and Jacob, but she soon felt the wall hit her back.

"Are you even listening to me?" Jacob screamed at her as he pounced forward," Just tell me where she is. That's all I need to know."

Emily looked away briefly and when she looked up, Jacob was breathing heavily as he pressed the knife to her throat. Reluctantly, she turned to face him. It was such a shame that he had turned to such evil powers. His dark hair curled, similar to how his father's had, but his hair was much longer and hung in his face as he glared at Emily. His brown eyes, unlike Rosalie's soft green, were brimming with anger. Had he not been so awful, so bad…then he could have been such a handsome, wholesome boy. Revenge may have seemed sweet to him, but Emily saw that it mostly just destroyed a person.

The servant girl relaxed herself as she waited for him to simply cut across. She knew that he had said he wouldn't kill her, but the bloodlust in his eyes said differently. Perhaps, he wouldn't even give her a chance to see if the plan would work. She wished that she could at least see Stephen one more time. She wished that she could see Rosalie and Caspian again, together. She wished she could see them as leaders of Narnia again and not the vile creature that had her pinned against the wall. She also wished that she could see Apollo be reunited with Trina and that their children could be returned to them.

Suddenly, he pulled away. Emily looked at him, very confused as he swore under his breath. She stayed against the wall, but decided that she may as well vent her feelings toward Jacob and try to get him to slip up. If he killer her, then she at least died fighting for Rosalie and Caspian.

"You know, Jacob, greed is a terrible thing, but an even more dangerous thing to have is jealousy," Emily said as he turned on his heel, but just as he did; he turned back to face her. "In my opinion."

"I've been called greedy by more people than I can count, but you mention an interesting characteristic that not even I knew of. Jealousy?" He said, looking at her confused.

She raised a brow," We both know that ever since you were a child you fought for your father's attention."

Jacob was silent as he glared at the servant. He seemed to realize what she was referencing, but he was speechless.

"I was there and I saw you. I saw you beg your father to do things with you when he always seemed to be acknowledging your sisters. If I remember correctly, you felt like you were left in the shadow of both your sisters', but especially Rosalie," Emily said, taking a step away from the wall.

Jacob seemed to become more tense the more that Emily spoke.

"She was always doing things with father. Always horseback riding, shooting archery, or doing something with him. Ever since you were children. It's been this way forever Jacob, but you've never told anyone the real root of why you're doing this to Telmar and the rest of the nation. You said it was for your father, but you've wanted this even when your father was alive.

"By destroying Narnia, which is actually Rosalie's property alongside her husband, whom you equally despise, you're getting the attention that you've always wanted. You're getting rid of the source that caused you so much grief. Your whole life you've been waiting for that moment when Rosalie slipped up and when it came…you jumped at the chance to get your time in the spotlight. Even if that meant destroying your home and brainwashing your sister. Jealousy is a sick and twisted-"

Before Emily could finish her sentence, Jacob came toward her with the blade swinging about wildly. With wide eyes, she was pressed back against the wall as he sliced the blade upward, grazing her cheek. An intense stinging rushed to her cheek and she put her hand up to feel the warm blood oozing from the small crevice in her face. It may have stung, but it felt good to have expressed what she had been feeling for so long. He only viewed her as a pathetic servant, but he didn't even realize all that Emily knew and how intelligent she really was.

Breathing heavy, he grabbed her by the neck and forced her to look straight at him," If you mention her name once more then I will show no regret in killing you. You may be valuable, but your price may just be too high for my liking. Because of your words, I will be sure that tonight is a living hell for you. You should be grateful for this moment of grace that I'm so graciously giving you. Then again, death may be preferable over what is to happen to you."

He dropped her neck and as he walked away she held the side of her face and almost regreted what she had just said, she watched him walk away, obviously enraged. She listened as he yelled out the door.

"Get her out of my sight now!" He called, as a burly man came in from the corridor. Just as he was coming to retrieve Emily, the servant girl watched as Trina was dragged in to the throne room. "I'll talk with the other one now, but deal with that one however you see fit and don't worry about holding back. Just remember, I don't want her dead."

Emily bit down hard on her lip as the man grabbed her tiny arm. Just when she wanted to regret what she had said, she remembered why it was that she was there in the first place. She remembered that this wasn't about her.

It was about Narnia.

* * *

That time, she was dragged down to the bottom of the castle. She had thought that he would be taking her to where the other servants had been kept, but this place was the main dungeons, or what she had thought to be the main ones. This was where Cornelius had been held the time Miraz had taken over.

There had been many more people there the one other time she had come down to check on Cornelius. The dungeon had been full, but this time it was empty. She was forced to take the heavy clothing off that she wore and wear only a thin, white dressing gown that the man forced into her hands. As they escorted her into one of the cells, she noticed shackles that were connected to the wall. With a gulp, she felt him push her to the wall. He clamped the cold, irons around her wrists, allowing her almost no movement whatsoever. Her face was pressed hard against the brick wall and she was waiting for just what was to happen next.

She hadn't been able to spot any type of weapon that was in the cell, but then again, she hadn't been looking very hard.

Then, suddenly, breaking through the dead silence of the dungeons she heard the crack and then felt the impact. Involuntarily, she released a scream as the leather pierced through the thin material of the dress. She heard the man chuckle at the sound of her scream and she remembered what she had told herself before. She couldn't give them any information…she had to stay strong…had to.

Again, the whip broke through the silent air and attacked Emily's frail frame that was pressed against the wall. She shook violently, trying to fight off the intense stinging and keep her mouth closed. After being hit continually and continually, she thought that her body was going to collapse for it could not handle the burning, stinging and thrashing about. It was hard for her to stay silent and after being abused so greatly; she had to let out the pain. Her screams filled the dungeon. Blood was oozing from the wounds already, she felt the warmness running down her back and ruining the lightweight dress.

Outside the dungeons, in fact, just a little ways up the stairs was where Reepicheep and his army of mice had retreated to. They sat, all crammed up inside the hole and listened as the poor servant girl was still being beaten after nearly two hours of non-stop abuse.

"We've got to get her out of there!" Reepicheep exclaimed, hearing another scream from the dungeons.

"How are we gonna do that, sir?" one of the mice asked as another pain-filled scream echoed through the halls.

Reepicheep looked at the mouse, started to say something and then finally said," I don't know yet..."

Just as he said that, several men's footsteps could be heard coming down the steps and silence filled the mice's hideaway. The men were in no hurry whatsoever, but Reepicheep watched carefully as they traveled down to the bottom of the steps. He poked his head out to see that one of the men stepped forward and opened the cell door. The screams had been continuing for nearly two hours by this time.

"Jacob says to give her a short break to herself."

The angry mouse watched with a grimace on his face as the men started his ascent up the stairs. Soon after, a thick man followed him with the bloodied whip dangling from his belt. After he was sure that they were gone, he motioned for one of his mice to follow him as they scurried down the stairs.

Reepicheep couldn't help but gasp as he gazed upon the limp body, hanging off the side of the wall. He grabbed his tail nervously as he approached the bars to see Emily's tiny frame bloodied and battered. Her hair was scraggly and thrown all about from her thrashing. Her head hung for she had no strength to hold it up. The mouse didn't even want to gaze upon her back, which he assumed was only going to be much worse. It appeared as though the wounds were so deep that bone could have nearly poked out anywhere.

"My lady!" Reepicheep exclaimed as quietly as he could.

Breathing very heavily, Emily mustered enough strength to pull her head over toward the tiny mouse," Reepicheep, y-you've gotta get out of here," she panted, her words very separated and broken.

"Not until you're freed, my lady," Reepicheep said, looking up at the large locked metal door, already thinking of a way to release her.

"No! Reepicheep, y-you d-don't realize h-how im-important," she breathed heavily," it is t-that you let me s-stay."

The mouse moved closer to the bar and looked directly at her.

"They want to take me to b-be brainwashed t-tomorrow. T-think of it. Think of the path they're t-taking and what's o-out there. I-I have to stay here. I-I have to see this out. It's one of the o-only ways we can help out t-the c-cause," Emily spoke with very broken speech as she spat out blood periodically.

Reepicheep couldn't stand the sight of her so miserable anymore. He wanted nothing more than to rip the chains off of her wrists and allow her to be free, but she was right. Jacob was not aware of the fact that Rosalie and Caspian intended for the Cruels never to be found again. He would merely be running into their trap even if all he did was send a troop of men. They wouldn't stand a chance. It blew his mind that Emily was willing to sacrifice herself for a risky plan such as this.

"Emily-" Reepicheep tried to interrupt, but men's voices could be heard at the top of the stairs.

"Hide!" She whispered.

Reepicheep looked at her and with a tear in his eye, he scurried down farther into the dungeons and found another hole. This one gave him and his companion a clear view as to what would happen next and he doubted that any of the men coming in would have much concern for a mouse, even if they did see him.

"It seems as though you've gotten extremely lucky," a gruff man spoke to Emily as he unlocked the shackles on her hands and grabbed her under the arms just after she had hit the ground. Without much effort, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder to transfer her to the cell across from where the other had been. "Jacob says you're just about as close to dead as you need to be. Not like it's going to matter much…you won't remember any of this for long. Strange how he seems to be having a sudden change of plans...nevertheless we are to follow them."

As soon as he dumped her on the hard, cold ground, he turned and slammed the gate closed behind him. Emily was so numb from the pain of the whip and the trauma from being thrown to the ground that she hardly heard a word of what he was saying, mostly because she had no desire to hear any of it.

After he was sure that the men were gone, Reepicheep crept out of the hole and moved over to the cell. The bars were just wide enough the he was able to slide himself through to be with the servant who seemed to be sobbing as she lay face-down to the ground. He noticed how the light dressing gown was barely staying on her due to the heavy rips and tears that the whip had caused. The gashes in her back were so deep and so bloody to the point where Reepicheep was sure that Emily would have scars forever.

"Emily," The mouse said softly, moving to where her face was.

She looked up at him with tears falling from her eyes," It hurts so badly…"

Reepicheep had known Emily to be a strong girl, but anyone who had endured torture such as this would be in pain. His heart was breaking at the sight of her so torn up and broken. Fury built in the small mouse's frame toward Jacob.

"Let me assist you," Reepicheep said, moving toward her arm to somehow get her up. Forget her plan, he had to get her out.

"No!" Emily screeched, tears falling down her face. "They have to be cut off when they take me, Reep. Someone's got to warn Caspian. I-I'm depending on y-you for this. P-please. Go and tell him." She said with as much affirmation as she could muster, but tears still leaked from her eyes.

The mouse looked at the crying girl. Any other person probably would have given up by this point. They would have felt the sting on their back as too much for them to handle, but Emily, even as close to death as she was, still wanted to press forward. With this in mind, he knew what he had to do.

"I'll inform him, my lady," Reepicheep whispered to her as he grabbed her spindly hand and placed a kiss on it. "You can count on that."

Climbing back through the bars, he and the mouse behind him knew what needed to be done. They needed to run like they had never had before and tell the real King of Narnia of Emily's plan.

She mustered up a small smile as she dropped her head to the cold floor, unable to hold it up on her own anymore. The mice scurried up the stairs and Emily couldn't help but feel a small amount of joy building inside her. The joy was soon drowned out by the immense pain running through her body. She placed her head upon the ground once more and tried to ignore the pain and think of the small mice that was now on his way to fetch Rosalie and warn them of a troop heading their way.

Jacob was not going to get away with this.

**Author's Note: Okay, so my head is spinning. I'm trying to plan all of this out as to what I really want to happen…I'm currently working on the next chapter that I think is going to be the next to last chapter, but that could change! Haha. I have a lot of loose ends to tie up still…keep reading! Love you all! **

**BTW: Tennis has started (my pen name isn't TennisQueen for nothing hehe) and my updates may become a little inconsistent from here on out. I want to finish this soon, but basically what's happening is I write between practices. **

**16 more reviews :D**


	37. The First Attack

****Long Chapter Alert****

**Disclaimer: I own nothing other than Rosalie and some of her friends, but everything you don't recognize from the movies/books belongs to C.S. Lewis.**

**TheLostHeroinesofOlympus- Though I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, don't be too quick to judge Penelope. :)**

**Elizabeth Zara- Rosalie is not pregnant. Not yet anyways.**

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The First Attack

After Emily left, there was still some time left in the night to strike up conversation with Caspian and Apollo, but it seemed as though a piece of me was missing with Emily gone. I tried to make the best of the situation; however, she always seemed to make her way into my head. I couldn't help but think of what would happen if something were to go wrong. Forcing my mind to veer away from these thoughts, I talked with Caspian and Apollo for quite some time before both Caspian and Apollo seemed ready to retire for the evening. I went along with them although my mind was not ready for sleep.

Falling asleep was absolutely atrocious and after several times of drifting in and out of sleep, I decided that it wouldn't hurt me much to take a walk. Careful not to wake Caspian, I rolled out of my sleeping mat and located the lantern at the edge of the tent. Before exiting, I grabbed my cloak and tossed it over my shoulders. Some may have thought it be foolish for me to go wandering about at night, but I hadn't much concern for that at the time being.

I hadn't much of an idea as to where I wanted to walk, but whenever I saw a fire in the small pit just outside of the camp, I knew that I wouldn't need the lantern. I placed it back on the inside of the tent before walking toward the small fire.

A dark figure was sitting beside the fire and had I not known him, I would have never recognized the man sitting and whittling away at a piece of wood.

"Evening, Stephen," I said quietly after carefully weaving my way through the camp. I took a seat beside him at the fire.

I didn't know if he was going to say anything to me for the longest time, but soon he paused his whittling to look at me," Evening."

There was a silence that hung in the air for a long time before Stephen finally spoke again.

"Do you think she's going to make it?" He looked directly at me once more. "Will Jacob kill her?"

So, he _was_ worried about her. Naturally, I would have expected that he was, but I never thought that he would come out and ask me that question. I released a sigh as I pondered my answer.

"Emily's a smart girl, Stephen," I told him as I stared into the fire. "She'll know better than to get herself caught. Plus, I trust that Penelope and Trina will keep her safe."

"But what if something goes wrong? Did you think about that?" He shot back right after that. "Do you really trust them?"

I was taken aback by his response. Normally, he had been able to keep himself a little more composed ever since the event with throwing the knife. Seconds later, he turned his head back to his whittling, as if embarrassed.

His second question did cause me to ponder. I hadn't really ever thought much about my trust in them for I basically assumed it was strong. Penelope was my sister and I would have liked to know one hundred percent that she would be on my side, but…she could have been considered risky. Trina, I had no doubt, would rather die than not be loyal. After thinking, I knew that I couldn't dwell on it for we had already sent Emily. It had been for the best…I couldn't help but notice my second guessing thoughts creeping back into my head.

"I can't really give you a prediction, Stephen," I replied softly. "I don't know what's going to happen. You know that I wanted her to stay here just as bad as you did, but she had no interest in that. She wanted this. It was all for the best…"

Stephen shoved the knife deeper into the wood as he shoved off the next layer in the stick," Let's hope she's not caught then."

"Stephen, I-" I cut myself off because it seemed as though there was nothing he wished to speak with me about. There seemed to be a very evident wall between the two of us and though I wanted to be a comfort to him, he had no interest in that. I still wasn't convinced that I wanted to go back to sleep, so I stayed seated in front of the fire to watch it flare.

The only noise that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and the sound of Stephen's knife peeling layer by layer off the wood to form a blade. It seemed as though we sat there for hours, saying nothing. The moon seemed to hide back behind the thick cloud coverage and just as I felt the need to go back to the tent; a branch behind us cracked.

My head shot behind me to try to see just what could be the culprit, but saw nothing. I turned my head back, and it appeared as though Stephen hadn't even heard anything. I shook my head, trying to assure myself that it was merely my head playing games with me. Pushing my hands onto the ground to steady myself as I stood up, a voice spoke.

"There they are!" It was a yell and there was no way that Stephen didn't hear it that time.

He jumped to his feet and tossed the newly sharpened knife to me as he pointed his own toward the darkness, trying to pose a threat toward whatever had spotted us.

"Shut up, you fool! I wanted to surprise them, but look at what you've done now!" Another voice cried in the dark as their voices came closer.

I furrowed my brow and looked over at Stephen, who was equally confused as I was. Seconds later, a troop of mice came scurrying up to our feet. Instantly, I realized just who this was and tossed the knife back to Stephen, who was still confused.

"Reepicheep?" I exclaimed, searching for just which one could have been him.

The leader of the mice came scurrying to my feet and gave me a small bow as he did. I smiled as I stooped down to one knee to better see him. So much time had passed since I had last seen the little gray mouse that this was a very pleasant surprise. He brought me a happiness I hadn't felt in a while.

"Yes, my lady!" Reepicheep exclaimed, just as happily.

"This is Reepicheep and his army of mice," I explained to Stephen while still in awe of the troop standing at my feet. "They served in Caspian's army."

"It is so good to see you, but I'm afraid I haven't much time to speak. Miss Emily sent me to you to give you a warning," The mouse finished his phrase; his tone was rather dark.

I gulped and tried not to look at Stephen. I tried to keep my head clear of any negative possibilities that his statement could bring, but for some reason I knew this couldn't be good news.

"And what's that Reep?" I asked him, my voice starting to drop.

He hesitated as he nervously grabbed his tail," Well-"

"Out with it!" Stephen demanded, still waving his knife about. He was obviously still very anxious.

I shot him a scolding look before turning my attention back to the seemingly anxious mouse.

"Your sister's b-been brainwashed, your majesty," he stammered, avoiding to make eye contact with me.

What? That was impossible…right? Nevertheless, my heart seemed to beat out of my chest as I gulped again, trying not to think of the worst. Perhaps, there was a chance that this was not true, but before I could say a word, Reepicheep spoke.

"She turned in Emily," He finished his statement, still nervous as to how we were going to react.

My heart nearly stopped whenever he said this. I could only assume that Stephen was ready to throw that blade at me. I shook my head as I fell back onto the ground, unable to think straight. The thought of Jacob finding Emily was absolutely horrendous. Then, I realized that it wasn't a thought…apparently…it was reality. Anger and guilt were beginning to develop deep in my stomach. I clenched my jaw in an attempt to keep from screaming.

"R-Reepicheep, please tell me it's not-"

"What did they do to her?" Stephen nearly yelled, interrupting me.

Again, it seemed as though Reepicheep was being very tentative. Mentally, I could prepare for the worse…

"Well, you see, Jacob tried getting her to talk, but she refused to tell him anything. My troop and I were just outside the throne room, in one of the holes, listening in. He was very intense with his questions, but Emily gave him nothing. She actually insulted him quite a bit, which I don't believe he appreciated much," Reepicheep said meekly.

"Then what?" Stephen pushed, wanting to get all of the details.

Reepicheep shot Stephen a curious glance before looking back to me," They took her down to the dungeons and…_whipped_ her. For nearly two hours straight…small breaks here and there, but they were absolutely relentless. Whenever they did stop, I was able to go down and see her for myself…the poor thing's back is nearly just blood and bones. He said he wanted her as close to dead as possible….and that she is."

My mind started racing with all sorts of ideas as to why Jacob wouldn't just kill her. Did he possibly remember her from his childhood and growing up in the castle? Would he really be that graceful? I figured that he would not be and then continued pondering on the thought. Stephen continued asking questions, but I paid little attention for I was now furious. It was taking all the self-control that I had to keep myself from marching to the castle at that very moment to kill my brother where he stood.

"Why would he not kill her?" I asked, probably interrupting Stephen and Reepicheep.

The gray mouse looked at me and sighed," He's going to do the same to her that he did to Penelope."

Then, I remembered that he couldn't afford a single person to be against him. _Not even one_. I guess it made sense that he would want to have Emily on his side, like he had done to Penelope, but a question came to my head: How had he been able to brainwash a woman? They were not the ones that the Cruels would torture. As I opened my mouth to ask Reepicheep this, it hit me that he would have no knowledge of this. He probably didn't even know of the women. I would have to wait until we were with Emily once again, if she would even know.

"How can we get to her before they do this?" Stephen asked, reading my mind.

"That's exactly why I came," Reepicheep said. "They're traveling the same path that we are currently on. Emily wouldn't allow me to help her because she wants you to cut them off. She thinks someone of importance could be leading them, which can help you."

I had to admire Emily even more. She was offered assistance on escaping, but turned it down. However, the fact that we possibly had a troop of men coming toward us made my alertness go up.

I shot up from my position on the ground and looked sternly at Stephen," Wake the soldiers. Don't tell them anything for the time being, but merely get them all up and tell them to be dressed and ready for battle," I looked over to the mouse. "Reepicheep, have you any idea how many people are escorting her?"

"I would imagine not many, my lady," Reepicheep answered respectfully. " A small troop, but still enough to take seriously, your highness."

"Wake the troops," I told Stephen firmly. "Don't tell them much, leave that for Caspian to do."

My eyes looked back at Stephen who nodded, understanding, as he bent over to pick up his knife. With one last look to me, he jogged off into the darkness and intruded into the first tent he saw.

After I was sure that Stephen was out of earshot, I asked Reepicheep," Is it really as bad as you said?"

I wanted the affirmation that I had heard him correctly.

The mouse looked away hesitantly before answering," I'm afraid that her scarring both physically and mentally is permanent. She was bleeding profusely and I'm sure that all of the places where that leather strap struck her are badly infected. Words can hardly describe the pain and her screams; it was awful, your majesty."

Anger swelled inside of me. Jacob showed no mercy just as I had thought he would do. He cared little for the servant girl even if she had tended to him even when he was a child. Questions were also swirling through my head over the loss of Penelope's mind.

"That's too bad," I replied somberly, thinking of Stephen and how much he cared for her.

The mouse started to scurry off toward the main tent in which Stephen had just entered. Before he could leave, I called after him.

"Hey, Reepicheep!"

He looked back at me with wide, eager eyes," Yes?"

"What about Trina?" I asked, tentatively.

He avoided my eyes," Jacob questioned her as well and she refused to say anything."

I stared at him, waiting for him to finish.

"Jacob's sentenced her to death," He said quietly and before I could ask anything else, the mouse was gone.

I gulped again, trying not to swear or scream. Jacob was making little sense at that point. Why would he allow Emily to be tortured, but not killed and then allow for Trina to be killed? It made little sense to me. Agony ran through me and tears came to my eyes as I walked back to the tent.

We had to stop him.

We had to get Emily back and save Trina before it was too late.

* * *

I sat in Caspian and Apollo's main tent, waiting for the both of them to enter. I was pondering just how we were going to go about attacking the castle. In my head, I tried thinking of just how bad of shape Telmar was in. Whenever we came back, would the people accept or reject us? What if they had actually grown to be fond of Jacob? I could hardly stand the thought of that and forced my mind to wander. I then realized that I was getting a little ahead of myself. We, first, had to take out the small troop heading out West.

Seconds later, Caspian pushed into the tent, hair disheveled and still in a lightweight tunic. He looked at me with a confusion expression on his face," Is there a reason why Stephen is running through the camp waking up all the men?"

A smile came to my lips. I forgot to mention to Stephen to wake Caspian and Apollo first…to explain what was going on. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Caspian, still very disorientated as to his surroundings. Through the space in the tent, I could see Apollo running around the outside of the camp, very confused. I knew it was no laughing matter, but…I couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Before I could utter a word, Reepicheep popped up from the back of the tent where he had been perched," Your majesty!"

"Reepicheep?" Caspian asked, narrowing his eyes at the mouse, looking at him as though he was some hallucination rather than real.

"Yes, your majesty. I'm afraid we haven't much time for social talk, but might I advise that you find some clothes worth fighting in?" The mouse asked, looking the king over with a rather scrutinizing look.

I chuckled again before standing up from my chair and walking over to the opposite side of the tent and grabbing the crate that held all of Caspian's armor.

"Rosalie, would you please explain what's going on? Now?" Caspian asked irritated, following me over to where the crate lay.

"Long story short," I explained quickly to Caspian, shooting a glance over to Reepicheep," Emily's been captured, but it wasn't her fault. Penelope's been brainwashed and Trina's being held in captivity, sentenced for death. Jacob is suspicious that we are up to something, but hasn't a clue that you're free from the nymphs. Whenever Jacob interrogated Emily, she wouldn't tell him anything. He beat her. She's in the dungeons, but they're taking her out to be brainwashed today-"

He seemed to catch on very quickly," They're heading our way."

"Yes," I nodded, pushing the crate into his arms. "That's why we need to be prepared."

He winced slightly at the weight of the crate being pressed into his arm. I seemed to forget that his shoulder was still tender and was quick to apologize," Caspian, I'm-"

"Don't worry about it," He smiled at me, before walking toward the exit. "And so, that really is Reepicheep?"

The mouse beamed," At your service!"

"Good to see you again!" Caspian exclaimed happily, seemingly much more awake by the minute. He then turned to me," I'm assuming that Stephen is telling the men the situation we've got here."

"No, I'm leaving that job to you!" I said back to him with a small smirk on my face.

Just as he was about to leave, he shook his head and teasingly said," Oh, thanks."

"I love you too!" I called after him, well after he had left the tent, still wearing a smile on my face.

"Is there some sort of a joke that I didn't catch?" Reepicheep asked, climbing onto the other table that lay in the middle of the tent. This was where most of Caspian's maps lay.

Still smiling, I looked at Reepicheep," Don't you worry about a thing."

* * *

I ran back over to our tent and grabbed my own armor. Emily was typically the only one who helped me into my armor, but seeing as though I didn't have her, I had to ask Caspian to assist me in tying up the back, after I had assisted him in getting the weight over his weak shoulder.

It was odd for me to think that in a matter of hours we would actually be attacking one of Jacob's own troops. It was rather exciting, but also nerve racking as well.

Time seemed to fly from there on out as men came filing out of the tents, in full armor, wondering just what was going on. Apollo was soon informed of what was happening and began making sure that everyone was armed and ready to go. The actual trail that we assumed they would be using would be a safe distance away from the camp. We began sending troops out to hide in the bushes quite early while the rest of the men were doing some last minute training.

In the back of my head, I was mourning over the mental loss of my sister, but I had no time to actually express my emotions to anyone. It seemed as though we all knew what needed to be done and that was that. We all knew that it was awful that Emily had been foiled, but we knew that we couldn't mope around and drag our feet otherwise she would be lost forever. The same went for Trina. As soon as we informed Apollo of what was going to happen, he seemed horror-stricken, but hearing that made him step into gear even more and_ want_ to fight for her.

There were also still plenty of questions that I wanted answers to such as: how did the Cruels manage to brainwash Penelope, if she was, in fact, brainwashed? Why was Jacob planning on killing Trina, if he couldn't afford to have anyone against him? Could he not have just brainwashed Trina and gotten it over with? She would have been one less person to worry about, but was it necessary to kill her? Why? I could have continued the list on for ages, but I knew that there was still plenty of tasks that needed to be accomplished.

Just after the sun had risen, I found myself sitting with my back to a tree, looking around to see where Caspian was. By that time, Caspian had already addressed the men on the impromptu attack that was to take place. He informed them little of the details for we didn't have all of the specific details and probably wouldn't until Emily was back with, assuming that everything went as planned. I could still hardly believe that I was grasping a sword in my hand waiting for the signal...just one signal...

"I just thought about something," Caspian murmured under his breath to me as he climbed behind the thick bush beside me. "The Cruels don't brainwash women. Don't they kill them?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin whenever I heard him speak. After catching my breath, I looked at him and nodded, watching the trail through the side of my eye," I've been wondering the same thing."

"Then how could Penelope-" Caspian started to ask, but before he could finish Apollo silenced the men with a loud shushing.

The sound of horses hooves could be heard off in the distance. Before Caspian and I could continue our conversation any farther, he had to move forward to where Apollo sat. He looked at me once more and whispered," Should anything happen-"

"I love you," I finished his phrase, very quietly.

He smirked," And I you."

With one last look, he crept along the bushes until he was sitting just alongside Apollo. I sat, wondering just how this was going to work. Everything seemed to have happened so quickly that it was so odd to think that we were actually sitting there preparing for our first attack on Jacob. My head was spinning and my heart beating so loudly that it seemed as though I could barely hear the horses hooves coming louder.

My eyes turned to the men hiding behind the thicker trees just down the trail from where I sat. I could see their arrows, sticking out ever so slightly, but other than that they were completely invisible. I took one deep breath as I peered around the corner to see the trail. After spotting a brown horse turning the corner, I quickly pulled my head away.

_It was them._

I had noticed a woman perched atop of the horse, but hadn't a good enough look to identify her. The rest of us were to wait until the archers had fired their first round of arrows before we could intervene.

The hooves came closer by the moment. Louder and louder. They came so close to me that I could hear the soft breathing of both the person atop the horse and the horse itself breathing out heavily. I held tight the sword that was in my hand. I found that the dagger wouldn't have near as much of a use for me in this situation, but nevertheless I kept it tucked away at my waist.

Seconds later, I heard the whistle of arrows fly through the air. I closed my eyes tight, praying that it would work. Then, suddenly, a horse whinny and men cries were my cue to move out alongside the other men who had already charged the line of unsuspecting men.

As soon as I turned the corner, in the frenzy, I saw that Penelope was atop of the first horse. Her eyes were widened and I watched as she started to kick her horse to retreat. Emily was on a separate horse, just behind Penelope, and the man steering Emily's horse gave it one powerful kick just as Penelope was kicking her own horse. I noticed that the entirety of Emily's back was completely red. A chill was sent down my spine as I saw her open gashes.

Shaking my head, I realized that Penelope was escaping.

Avoiding a jab from one of Jacob's men to my side, I screamed to the archers," STOP HER! She can't get away!"

All of our men seemed to be busy , but seconds later, one of the archers turned and just as Penelope and Emily's horses were galloping off, he sent an arrow piercing through the air, jabbing Emily's horse right in the midsection. The man atop of Emily's horse kept a tight grip on her as Penelope slowed down. Just as she did, another man fired an arrow to Penelope's horse, taking it down. Normally, I would have felt great guilt in injuring horses, but I had little remorse this time. They were merely part of a bigger plan that we couldn't allow to unfold.

Out of the side of my eye, I noticed a man coming at me, swinging wildly. I had to get to Penelope quickly to apprehend her, but he was currently a threat to me. Feeling adrenaline pumping through me, I sliced at him as our blades met with a clatter. I hadn't been in a fight in quite some time, but I had been able to practice some over the last couple days.

"You 'aven't a chance!" The man jeered at me, giving me a toothless grin as he swung high and was about to blow low.

Swiftly, I stepped aside as his sword hit the ground. With this advantage, I jabbed my sword through his side and said," Is that so?"

Seconds later, I was sprinting down, between wild swords and knives being thrown about, to where Penelope had already started fighting off the archers. The man who was holding Emily, now had a grip on her around the neck. I swallowed as I approached the scene. Several of our men already had him surrounded, but he held a dagger right at her throat. Penelope was dueling one of our soldiers intensely.

"Let her go!" One of our men cried, trying not to push the man too far.

"And what's stopping me from killing 'er right now, eh?" He challenged, pulling the knife closer to her neck.

We all stood in awe, watching just what was going to happen. Seconds later, we saw the man begin to choke. It was the oddest sight I had seen in quite some time, for as he was choking, but something was coming _through_ his throat. The sight was rather gruesome as the sword protruded from the back of his throat. The man's grip on Emily loosened as he dropped to the ground. Caspian was standing behind the man as he pulled his sword from his throat.

"Get Emily!" He commanded me as he went toward Penelope, avoiding more attacks and stabs being thrown at him, "Take her to the camp!"

I wanted to stay and be able to assist. As I grabbed Emily tenderly, I cried back to Caspian," But I-"

"We've got it covered from here, Rosalie!" He said back rather impatiently. "Please, she needs medical attention quickly!"

Emily still seemed to be very weak, as I would have expected. As I placed Emily's arm over my shoulder, I felt all of her weight sink onto me. Adjusting myself, I threw my sword into its holster and started back through the woods toward the camp. I noticed that up close, Emily was even more frail than she had looked from a distance. Her face was pale, her dress ripped so badly it could have fallen off her, her face scratched and back so deeply wounded that I hardly thought it able to be healed.

Just as I was about to speak with Emily, I heard a grunt from behind us.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw one of Jacob's men falling dead right at our heels. Thank goodness that one of our soldiers had been there, otherwise we would have been killed. Stephen appeared from behind the man's figure, looking concerned at Emily. His eyes were wide and brimming with tears, before I could say a word he exclaimed," I'm gonna kill her!" He yelled referring to Penelope. He turned to go toward her and I stopped him.

"Stephen!" I cried, turning to face him while still keeping a grasp on Emily, "You can't do that!"

"And who's going to stop me? She did this to her!" He growled back at me. "She's the one to blame! Look at what she's done to this! Look at this mess!"

I turned my eyes over the battle that was taking place in the woods. From both sides, I saw men falling to the grown. I saw blood running down their faces, arms, and, but it seemed to bother them little for they kept on fighting. Neither side was going to give up any time soon. The archers for Caspian sent arrows flying left and right at Jacob's men who were trying to retreat back down the path. I noticed that Caspian was dueling with one of Jacob's men that was standing near Penelope. He was moving rather slow, but I had to remember that he was still taking a large risk fighting with a wounded shoulder. There was no stopping him; however.

I looked to Emily, who appeared to be placing a hand onto a nearby tree. I softly released her from my shoulder as she grasped onto the tree for support," Rosalie, he doesn't understand-" She gasped to me.

I gazed at the pathetic-looking girl and before I could say anything, Stephen had cried out again," I understand that Penelope's a traitor!"

My eyes turned down to my teenage sister, who was now dueling with Apollo. Her dark hair was whipping in her face as the older man pinned her against the tree. I saw her green eyes widen with fear as he nearly disarmed her with a hard directly to her blade. For some reason, seeing her again made me flash back to her as a child. I honestly trusted that Penelope wouldn't do harm to me if she was in her right mind...for some reason, I was convinced that she really was brainwashed. Seconds later, she came fighting back at Apollo, getting rather close to his head. I knew that the real Penelope would have stopped by that point. This couldn't have been the same girl with whom I would chase around the castle as a child.

"A blind traitor!" I yelled back at him, drawing my sword. "If you think that you can lay a finger on her, then you're going to have to go through me because that's my sister. She's a victim in this, not the criminal!"

"Not even _you _are going to stand in my way," He muttered to me, clutching his own sword tightly as he swung at me. I held my sword tightly and watched as he swung so closely to me that our blades caught with a clatter.

"Please, you two!" Emily exclaimed with all the strength she could muster.

"Only if he promises to back off of an innocent girl!" I cried, feeling sweat dripping from my brow as he continued to pound toward me.

"She's not innocent!" Stephen roared, lifting his sword to swing high.

I stepped aside as he swung downward and quickly recovered to face me once more.

"Think of what happened, Stephen," I said, trying to get him to calm down. "Think of the pain she must've endured. You know what the Cruels do, you were there when they were first discovered. I know she's been working for both sides, but can you at least trust me that I truly believe she has no recollection of any of this? Think of me...she's _my _sister. She may just be the last of my real family..."

He swallowed hard as he looked at me," You really aren't upset about Emily? You don't want revenge?"

"I want to get them back for this just as badly as you do, Stephen, but you and I both know that this is not Penelope's fault. She was merely tricked by Jacob. I'm saving my vengeance for him. He's the one that did this to her, not Penelope," I explained to him, trying to cool him off a little bit. "At least give her time."

Stephen glowered at me for several seconds before he softened his gaze and released a sigh.

"Fine, but don't think that I'm not still upset with her," he growled at me. "If she so much as lays a finger on Emily again, then I will make sure to personally have her executed, even if she is your sister."

I knew he was still burning with rage. I could understand why he was so upset which was part of the reason why I chose not to get onto his case anymore. Grabbing Emily once more, I watched as Stephen ran back through the trees to reach the battle. To my surprise, it seemed as though the battle was going rather well. I had known that we would easily outnumber them, but surprise attacks could always turn bad quick. From what I could see, it appeared as though we were going to be victorious.

The victory in itself would have been enough to make me pleased, but what made me ecstatic was the fact that Emily was clinging onto my shoulder.

Safe.

* * *

"Rosalie!" Emily screamed as we both sat inside one of the tents. I had been able to rip off the dressing gown rather easily and provide her with a blanket to cover the front of her as I cleansed the wounds.

I grabbed a stool and sat behind her with a bucket of water and a rag, trying to clear away the blood. The cuts were so deep that I hardly thought she would ever completely heal from this. When I started, it seemed as though the blood would never go away. As I dabbed the rag into the water, it merely became red. I don't remember how many times I had to empty out the water because it had been turned completely bloody.

Her frail hands were grasping on tightly to the front of the chair in which she was sitting backward, her back toward me. She couldn't help but cry out in pain at even the slightest touch of the rag to the delicate, broken skin.

"Emily, I have to cleanse it," I said to her softly, trying to get her to calm down as I dumped out another bucket of the bloody water.

"I know you do," She answered, trying to steady her breathing again. "It just…brings back the memories, I'm sorry. I-I really should b-be strong-ger, but-"

"Emily, don't even talk about being strong. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met," I said to her, grabbing another bucket full of water from the large bucket in the corner of the tent.

A small chuckle was released from her lips," You're too kind."

I tried to keep her talking for it seemed as though her speech was starting to be less broken. Perhaps, talking could get her focus off of the cleansing of the deep wounds. Delicately, I placed the rag onto one of the deeper cuts and spoke," You know that Stephen was worried to death about you. Not to say that we weren't, but he was definitely the most bothered."

She was silent for a moment before saying," H-he overreacted, Rosalie. A-about P-Penelope."

I paused for a moment to ponder what she had just said after dabbing the wash cloth in the water," People who are in love tend to do that, you know. He knows what's right Emily," I placed the cloth onto her back, some skin could actually be seen at that point," He was just blinded because he saw you hurt. I don't think he actually-"

"B-but he still said it," She said, stronger than I had thought she could. "He can't just prattle off like t-that."

Seeing as though this was more of a problem between her and Stephen, I closed my mouth and finally finished cleaning the excess blood from the wounds. Finally, just as I grabbed the salve to put on the wounds, I said," Perhaps you should speak with Stephen about this."

"I-I would love to see him," She said, almost whispered to me.

She shook slightly as I placed the cool medicine onto the wounds. Though I knew she would still be sensitive to the topic, we hadn't much time to waste before we had to go into the castle. Since Emily seemed to be growing confidence in her words, I tried asking her some rather deep questions.

"Emily, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about what happened at the castle," I said tentatively, not wanting to cross any boundaries. "I know that the topic is still sensitive, but if you could-"

"D-don't worry about it, Rosalie," She whispered to me. " That's the whole reason I went in there."

She paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, before continuing on.

"Reepicheep helped me so m-much that I d-don't know what I would have done without him. H-he helped me into the stables and released the horses, who killed the g-guards there. That was about as far as the good things went because soon after we were able to locate the throne room and watch whenever they evacuated. P-Penelope retreated to her usual room a-and then there was a woman that was with Jacob-"

"Wait, a woman?" I asked, furrowing my brow as I stuck my hand into the cream once more.

"Yes," Emily nodded, keeping calm as she spoke. "Her name was…Natalia, I believe. I never did get the opportunity to ask Trina about her. Trina had been kept down in the cells where you had been kept briefly. I tried going down to retrieve her, but t-that was after I ran into Penelope, who at f-first t-treated me as though I was a friend. It c-came out that Jacob had told her to recognize all of us as friends, but to t-turn u-us in t-to him. I went down to the dungeons after she gave me the key, in order to r-retrive Trina, but t-there wasn't much hope from there."

I nodded my head, understanding as I continued to rub in the medicine. I couldn't seem to remember anyone whom my brother would have been companions with that was a woman…not that he didn't know women, but the fact that one would have been in a meeting with him must have meant that he trusted her. There wasn't anyone that I had known like that…would he sink so low and choose someone out of chance? For some reason, I didn't believe that. Perhaps, Emily was still in shock from what had happened.

Allowing for several moments to pass as I covered a majority of her back, I thought it necessary to ask her another question.

"Did you hear anything of how Jacob could have managed to brainwash a woman?" I asked her, putting the last of the medicine on.

Emily shook her head," I-I'm sorry."

"What of the giants?" I asked, remembering those to be a key force in Jacob's army.

"I-I did learn of them. Reepicheep said that t-they like to stay out in the forest, in fact, that's where they're banished to unless summoned."

This interested me greatly. Jacob must not have completely trusted the giants…

There were plenty of things that I needed to think about with Caspian that Emily had retrieved for us.

On a different note, the fact that she was going to forever have those scars on her back really bothered me. I knew that Jacob had bitterness inside of him, but never did I think he would go so far as to almost murder the servant who grew up alongside us and tended to us for the majority of our lives.

The skin on her back was beginning to look a lighter shade of red instead of the deep red it had been before. Knowing that there was little more I could do or talk about for the time being, I wrapped the bandages around her back and midsection, for extra support. Before I left; however, I found one more thing to ask Emily about.

"You said that you released the horses and that they killed the guards, correct?" I asked, still somewhat amazed by this revelation.

"Y-yes," She answered, her voice becoming stronger by the minute.

"Then do you know where they could have gone-"

Not even being able to finish my sentence, I heard the whinny of a horse outside the tent. A few seconds later, plenty more horses could be heard running toward the base camp. I smiled at Emily as she turned around, pulling a new dress over her head. Her strength to be able to dress herself amazed me, as well.

"They knew where to go," I whispered, in awe of the intellect of horses. "They knew what needed to be done?"

"Of course they did," Emily responded, adjusting the dress. "They were lead by Kingslee. Your horse."

The sound of the horses came closer and closer. I gave Emily a nod, bidding her farewell before gathering the supplies and exiting the tent. To my surprise, I came face to face with Stephen just as I left.

Laughing slightly at my scare, I said," She's doing fine, in case you're wondering and I would recommend talking with her."

Stephen, who still seemed embarrassed by his earlier stunt, simply nodded his head to me and entered the tent. I sighed slightly, but a river of relief came flooding over me to know that he had come back. Looking down the line of tents, it appeared as though they were occupied once more and several men were walking around. This must have meant victory for us.

I also noticed that there was a herd of horses skipping valiantly toward the camp. At the front, I noticed my own horse, Kingslee. The brown horse almost seemed to smile whenever she caught glance of me. I dropped the supplies in response to this and watched as she came galloping toward me, ahead of her pack. I was too in awe to think of any much other than the sight of her running toward me. Just as she entered the camp and came slowing down to a halt, she stared directly at me for nearly a minute before I took a step forward and placed my hand delicately on her nose. I watched her eyes close in pleasure as I stroked her nuzzle. Seeing Kingslee reminded me that I was closer to home, reminded me that this wasn't over.

The day when Caspian and I would rule Narnia once more was growing nearer.

**Author's Note: I know, I know I still have a lot to explain, but hang with me! I'm still trying to catch my breath from trying to write all that...longest chapter I've ever posted on here.**

**5 more reviews! We can do that :)**


	38. Preparations for Battle

**Disclaimer: I own very little :D**

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Preparing for Battle

"If you think that I'm going to tell you _anything_, then you're a fool," Penelope spat at Caspian just as I entered into the tent. Not wanting to cause much of a scene, I slipped in and placed the medical supplies in the corner before joining Apollo near the chair where Penelope had been tethered down. I had to come to terms that she was not the same person and that would be much easier if I tried to not be involved.

"What do you know of the Cruels?" Caspian growled at her, coming closer to her face.

"All I know is that they mess with a person's head, okay?" She spat back at him. "That's all I'm going to tell you."

"Jacob sent you to destroy Emily's mind, didn't he?" Caspian questioned, still hoovering over her, hungry for answers.

"So what if he did?" She shot back.

"Just answer the question," Caspian demanded; his patience obviously running thin with my teenage sister.

She released a sigh before saying," I was, alright? Are you happy now? I don't see how that helps you any."

Continuing on as if she had said nothing," You're a traitor, you realize that, Penelope? Whenever you came to me many months ago, nearly a year ago, you told me that everything you would do then you would do it with my permission and under my surveillance. You did a mediocre job of it before, but this is nearly intolerable. Giving away Penelope? Allowing for Trina to be locked away in prison? Have you stood up for anything against Jacob?"

Caspian knew that Penelope was brainwashed for I had passed on the information that Reepicheep had given me. I think that he was asking her these questions just to see if she remembered anything. He wanted to have evidence that she really was a new person and couldn't remember a single thing that had happened before. It was a smart logic, something I probably wouldn't have thought to do.

She furrowed her brow at him, deeply confused. This look alone would have been enough for me to know that this girl was definitely not my sister in mind, but only in body," Are you mental?"

"That doesn't answer my questions, Penelope."

"I'm not a traitor, alright? I've been on Jacob's side the entire time! I thought you all would have known that. I've never supported you and I never will, in fact, you may as well kill me now if you actually insist on resuming your title as King," she rambled on, insulted that we would ever mention that she was ever one of us.

"Enough!" Caspian finally yelled, causing her to quiet briefly before continuing.

"You and Rosalie were the worst thing that ever happened to this country. Just go ahead and ask anyone in Telmar," she cut her eyes over to me.

I felt a jab in my heart as I met eyes with my sister. It broke my heart that she had no knowledge of what she was saying. Had she been in her right mind, she wouldn't have even dreamed of saying any of those words.

"Penelope, I wish you could understand-" I started meekly, but this merely fueled her fire.

She struggled greatly against her binds as she screamed at me," SHUT UP! I understand everything perfectly fine. He told me that you would try to tell me plenty of things that weren't true…"

I shook my head and kept a level head," Penelope, you don't. He's got you under his spell. Just a year ago, you were fighting against him. You were on our side."

I found that it was rather useless for me to say anything else and Caspian shot me a warning look. Releasing a sigh, I turned away from the sight of my deranged sister and started to leave the tent. I could hardly stand to see her like that, but just before I could leave she yelled at me again. I considered continuing on walking anyways, just to seperate myself from her, but her words were severe.

"You think that by going back to Telmar that everything's going to be peachy again, Rosalie?" She screamed at me, causing me to stop in my tracks. "You think that the people actually want _you?_ You think they want the very person that crumbled when trouble came? You think they want the person back who left them out to dry?"

I allowed the words to process in my head. I felt my cheeks get warm, and a piece of me knew that she was right. Moments later, I heard Caspian say," Rosalie, don't listen to-"

"Don't listen to me?" Penelope challenged. "Even if I am brainwashed, I know what I've seen at Telmar. Should you go back to that city, the people will riot. The people may even take Jacob's side. Why would they-"

"SILENCE!" Caspian roared, a tear slid down my cheek because I feared that she was right.

I hadn't stood up to Jacob when he first came. From the outside, it would have appeared that I abandoned them out of fear. It would have appeared that I lied to their faces, escaped, and then left them for the worst. Caspian may have been sick of hearing what she had to say, but I could sense some truth in what she said which was what only made listening to her all the more painful.

"Now, onto something else-" Apollo tried to ease the tension, but Penelope was not cooperating.

"And there's no way you'll ever defeat the giants. When Jacob finds out what you've done to his men, he will summon the giants. I happen to know that he will show no remorse in having the giants alone cream your little army."

Caspian started to move toward her, but I was trying to breathe in and out to calm myself. I had to remember that she was not in a stable mental condition. I should have walked away.

"What say you to that Rosalie? See all your hard work go down the drain? Everything you've done wasted," She growled at me as I thought about grabbing my knife. "Seeing that little whore beat up for nothing-"

Before she could even finish her phrase, I had already pulled out my knife and pounced. Instantly, I found myself looming over her with my knife aimed right at her chest. I didn't care that she was my sister. I didn't care that she was out of her mind. Stephen was right, we should have finished her. The sister I had was probably gone forever. All I knew was that she was someone whom I had little interest being around.

And then, as I stared directly into her eyes, I saw one thing: fear.

"Rosalie," Caspian said tentatively, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I think that everyone in the room was in shock that I was holding a knife to my own sister's throat. In fact, I had nearly surprised myself.

"I swear that if you _ever _use that word to describe her again, then I will slit your throat with no remorse. I was giving you grace at first, but you are slowly convincing me that the sister I once had is dead along with the rest of my family. Don't think for even _one_ second that I will condone this and allow you to live. To be honest, I look into your eyes and see a stranger," I spat at her with a shaky hand as I pushed the knife into the holster at my waist.

She didn't dare say another word. I gulped before shooting a glance at Caspian. His eyes were widened as he watched me leave the tent.

* * *

I knew that I had overreacted to Penelope, but I couldn't stand for her to sit there and bully us as if she owned the place. It was a mere matter of chance that Jacob had chosen Penelope, of all people to lead the troop to escort Emily. As I sat at the edge of the camp, pondering the events of the day, I was beginning to wish that he had sent anyone but her. She hadn't ever done anything other than be loyal to Caspian and I...she didn't deserve to have her mind taken away from her...

At that moment, I was convinced that there was no hope for my sister. I pressed my head against my knees as tears spilled out of my eyes. The sadness was a mixture of all sorts of emotions. Emily, Stephen, Caspian, Penelope, Trina…the list seemed to be endless of events that had gone wrong.

I wanted to blame myself for this all happening again, but I knew that in order to stop Jacob that I couldn't do that. Several tears later, I realized that everything that had happened, obviously happened for a reason. Aslan was in control of everything that was happening. Surely, he would not have let all of this happen in pure vain?

Then again, I had to remember that sometimes the pain was what caused us to rely on Aslan even more. Sometimes, the pain couldn't be explained as anything more than a time to grow in faith.

Hours passed as I ran many different thoughts through my head over all different sorts of topics. Several men passed here and there, the camp was very busy for the rest of the morning and afternoon. Some of them may have spoken to me, but I was in such a daze that I hardly noticed anyone passing. I forced myself to not even think of Penelope anymore and from there on out, all my mind was focused on was how we were going to finish Jacob once and for all.

Just before dusk, my thoughts were interrupted and I heard someone come and join me.

I looked over seconds later to see Caspian taking a seat beside me.

"Penelope cooperated after you left," he said after several minutes of silence. "She's going to lead Apollo and some other men to find the giants. Apparently, they are most vulnerable when sleeping. We had very little problems getting her to talk."

I glanced away, looking out to the darkened treeline," You trust her?"

Caspian sighed as he ran a hand through his hair," Had you asked me that earlier, I would have said no, but I think that after she spoke with you….she realized that we won't tolerate anything other than the truth. She knows the dangers of what would happen should she lead us astray."

"I hope you're right," I said with a small smile. "Has she...well...come out about being a traitor? Or do you think that she-"

I looked at him, not wanting to finish the phrase. He seemed to understand what I was asking and shook his head feverently.

"She hasn't a clue of anything, Rosalie," Caspian hoarsely whispered to me. "I asked her even basic memories from our childhood and she had no recollection of any of it. I thought that she was lying at first, exaggerating the truth, if you will, just to cover for Jacob, but now I am convinced that she truly has no memories from her childhood or early adolescence. The only things she is useful for is the current situation we've got on our hands. I can merely only view her as a captured enemy now, Rosalie. I hope that you will be able to do the same because...the thought of her will torture you."

I knew that he was right. I needed to cut off any emotional connection I had to Penelope because her ties to me had already been severed. It was pointless for me to mourn over her anymore. She was simply a captured enemy now...just like any of the other men that we had caught. She was no different than them. I had to repeat the mantra in my head several times before I could actually start to believe myself.

"You've a couple hours to get ready before we pack up camp and head out," Caspian added gently, after several moments of allowing me to think.

When I had realized what he had said, I furrowed my brow," What do you mean?"

"We're finishing this tonight, Rosalie," he told me firmly. "Jacob suspects something, but he must have felt comfortable enough to send away his sister for a two to three day journey. Tonight's the night. I think that he would want her around if he suspected we were on the move. This may be our chance t get him while he's weak."

I could hardly believe him. It was an incredible logic and I knew that we would have to leave soon, but I had thought that the next day would be soon. Immediately, I jumped from my spot on the ground and looked at him, wondering just what his plans were. This was all very last-minute, but also very exciting. Instead of merely thinking about all of this, it sounded as though we were about to make it happen.

"What do you want me to do? What are the plans? Are we-" I started rattling off, trying to prepare myself for the hours to come.

He shook his head as a smile played on his lips and he shushed me," Rosalie, please just leave it to me, but if you must know, then Penelope is being closely supervised by Apollo and a good chunk of our men. They are going to go and make sure that the giants are distracted enough to where they will not be summoned. While we, storm the castle. Reepicheep is going to be leading a troop of mice into the castle to open the gates for us. From there, I don't know what we'll do, but I say that we storm the throne room as quickly as possible."

"So it is to be like last time? The raid with the Pevensies?" I asked him, forcing all logical questions to the back of my head.

He nodded," Yes, essentially, but pray tell that it will go better this time than it did that time."

"Of course," I said with a nod and he turned on his heel to walk away, but not without looking back at me once more.

I couldn't help but still feel a ping of guilt at the way this was going to end with Penelope. I tried repeating the mantra to myself, but it seemed as though Caspian could see right through the facade I was placing to make him believe that I really didn't care for Penelope anymore.

"What's on your mind?" He asked softly, stepping back toward me.

"Penelope and all those men. Penelope's my only family left and those men, they've all got families too. I-Is there any cure? Do you know how they could ever be restored back to normal after all this is over?" I asked him just as tenderly.

He looked away before looking back to me," I don't know yet, but I think there's a possibility we might be able to return them to normal. I can't make any promises though. And Rosalie, just because your sister may be gone, doesn't mean that she has to be."

His words made absolutely no sense.

He clarified himself and pointed a finger to his chest, right above his heart," She may not remember the time you spent together, but you will always have them tucked away here."

"Thank you," I said quietly, looking at him with gratitude.

Before I could say or ask him anything else, Apollo came sprinting around the corner, asking for Caspian urgently. Caspian bid me farewell before disappearing around the corner of the tent. I sighed as he left, but then felt a sort of fire burning in my stomach.

That night would be the night that we would face Jacob once and for all. That night would be the night that he would be confronted. That night would be the night that Caspian and I would be returned back to our rightful place as King and Queen of Narnia.

We may not have had a long, manicured war plan, but we had something worth fighting for.

* * *

"Alright gentlemen, here we stand," Caspian said, several hours after the sun had set with nothing but torchlight hanging about for us to see one another. He was standing atop a makeshift platform that we had been able to craft out of some of the tables in the tents.

I stood near Caspian, watching as the clouds overhead came together. They were quite ominous and it appeared as though we were going to be doing this raid in the midst of a thunderstorm. This could have been an advantage to us since the visibility would be much more limited from the castle, but it also meant for a much nastier battle with the mud, water, and such.

Caspian started his spiel on what was to happen. I listened to bits and pieces, but my mind was elsewhere. My mind was thinking back to hours ago whenever I had walked into Emily's tent to see her struggling to grab her own gear to fight alongside us. After some heated debating, I convinced her that it would be foolish for her to engage in any sort of physical challenge.

I remembered coming out of that tent and watching as they dragged along Penelope from Caspian's tent. Her wrists were bound together, a gag shoved into her mouth, and ankles tied together loose enough to she could still walk. I wanted to feel sympathy for her, but those feelings disappeared soon. She was not the same sister that I had known my entire life. She may have been in her body, but she was not the real Penelope. I remembered what Caspian had told me and that was enough for me not to break down at the sight of her.

I watched them mount their horses and leave for the woods. Apollo bid us all a farewell before leading the troop out to distract the giants, under the guidance of Penelope. Penelope; however, knew that should she lead them into any trap, then the consequences could be dangerous for her. They had left just after the sun set. That had been many hours before we had finally gotten ready to leave. I also remembered the look on her face as she looked at me one last time before being thrust upon the horse. It was almost a look of...remorse.

I focused back on Caspian.

"…Reepicheep and myself have been around to help inform you of what we insist on doing this evening. Archers, you know that your job is vital to our entire force. Swordsmen, you know that this is the night where all of your hard work will pay off. Tonight is the night that we take back Narnia!-"

The men roared at the sound.

I remembered back to Emily again. Just after I had urged her out of her war clothes, I had spoken with Stephen briefly trying to get him to do the opposite of what I was urging Emily to do.

"You must assist us in this Stephen!" I begged him, standing outside of Emily's tent, just before the men had started to disassemble camp earlier that day. "You're one of our best soldiers and we need you for this to work."

"Rosalie, as much as I would love to…Emily needs someone to stay with her. I have no doubt that the rest of you will be completely fine without me there. I have to keep her safe now," he told me, having no interest in changing his mind whatsoever. I had a feeling that this young man was falling head over heels in love. "I've done what I can do for the task. Should you desperately need me, then I will come, but I think you have it covered from as far as I can see. Plus, I've already spoken with Caspian, who was worried of Emily's well-being, as well."

I remember wanting to fight him more on this matter, but seconds later, a pale Emily emerged. She was wearing the same dress I had provided for her earlier. Smiling at me, she latched an arm in Stephen's.

"I tried getting him to agree to fight, Rosalie," she said meekly. "He's quite the stubborn one."

Stephen smiled, slightly embarrassed at her words. He moved his other hand and placed it atop Emily's that was clenched tightly around his arm. He looked at me seriously," I won't leave her again. Not anytime soon, at least."

Knowing that I would be unable to convince him otherwise, I said," Where do you plan on going?"

"Caspian's provided me with a horse to take back out to the countryside. He said that though it is still dangerous there, it would be away from the action that is to take place tonight. He assures us that it will be safe there," Stephen answered as the men started to take down the stakes that held us Emily's tent.

The servant girl added reassuringly," Whenever Telmar is safe again, then I will be back, at your service once more. We've...both agreed on that."

The two of them looked at each other and smiled as we started walking toward the meadow where the horses had been roaming for the length of the day.

"And we will be glad to welcome the both of you back," I assured her, watching as Stephen called over one of the horses, the horse that Caspian had provided.

Caspian had not informed me that he was providing them with a horse, but whenever I saw which horse was coming toward them, I felt as though they deserved better. Granted, that horse would have been fine, but I wanted to be sure they were in the best hands, or hooves rather, possible. And with that, I placed a finger in my mouth and whistled loudly.

Stephen looked at me, confused as to what I was doing. Before he could utter a word, I watched as Kingslee, my own brown horse that I was so fond of came galloping toward us. Whenever she reached my side, I stroked her softly before handing her over to Stephen. This could have very well been one of my last services to them, if things were to take a turn for the worse. She was a smart horse and could easily keep both Stephen and Emily out of harm's way. I would have loved to ridden her into battle, but I knew that she would be a blessing to the both of them should trouble find them.

"Rosalie, we could never take _her_," Emily argued, shaking her head reverently. "She's your horse. She belongs in the action."

I looked at Kingslee and it was, as if, even though I was human and she was horse, we were thinking the same thought. We had done this plenty of times before, but never this strong.

Keeping eye contact with the horse, I said to Emily," I insist. And, I think she does as well."

Emily opened her mouth to argue once more, but before she could say anything, Stephen was assisting her onto Kingslee's back. He climbed on shortly after and placed a hand protectively around her waist.

"Thank you, Rosalie," he said to me genuinely, "For everything."

"Yes, thank you, Rosalie. I could never thank you enough for all that you've done," Emily said somberly as Stephen kicked Kingslee gently. "Goodbye for now!"

Feeling as though words would not have been appropriate for the moment, I merely nodded before looking at my horse one last time. That could have been the last time I would have ever seen Kingslee, but I could hardly be selfish. There were no other people with whom I trusted her more. Assuming that all would go well, I would have been able to see all of them again soon.

After replaying all of this in my head, it hardly occurred to me that Caspian was still in the middle of his address to the army. He looked over at me, as if to see if I was paying attention. Assuring him that I was with a smirk, he turned back to the crowd to finish what he was saying.

"Tonight, I know that emotions are running high. I know that each and every one of you want to finish Jacob just as badly as I do, but have peace in knowing that we've got Aslan on our side. Have peace of knowing that good will conquer evil! Maybe not tonight…maybe not tomorrow…maybe not even in our lifetime, but whatever happens tonight, whatever the result; it happened for good reason. Stay strong men! And remember that this…is for Narnia!"

With many loud cheers and war cries, we lead them into the woods and it started to rain.

* * *

Telmar.

We arrived at the ridge. The final ridge that stood in our way before we could finally see the castle, before we could finally look upon our home. Whenever we stood at the peak of the ridge, rain pounding in our faces, lighting striking all around, we all could hardly think much of anything other the simple thought of restoring the city that we all knew and loved.

The sight we saw was not the sight of our home. It was the sight of a destroyed home. The lightning strikes were vicious and bright enough to show us glimpses of what Telmar had become and that alone was enough to make my blood boil. The castle appeared to be missing plenty of bricks, adding to the look of being run-down. Entire chunks seemed to be missing from the castle, as well as other pieces of the roof. It appeared as though Jacob never took time to repair what the giants did the first time they came through.

The city of Telmar, apart from the castle looked dark and dreadful. I hardly wanted to go down there for the streets seemed to be overrun with all sorts of trash and grime. Houses were just as astrewn as the castle appeared to be, only worse. It was obvious that the style of life in Telmar had gone down in our absence.

"It's awful," I said loudly to Caspian, over the roll of thunder.

"It's a shame! Telmar should be treated much better than this!" Still in awe of what had become of our home.

After waiting for the entire army to make their way to the ridge, I finally asked Caspian what his plan from this point onward was to be.

"When do we go? I want to finish this," I said to him firmly, staring straight at him as his gaze was fixed directly on the castle.

After several more moments, he looked at me, rain whipping about everywhere," I'm sending out the archers now."

I nodded my head and turned my eyes back to the castle as Caspian began yelling orders to the troops.

I hoped that Jacob was ready.

I hoped that he would see what was coming for him.

I hoped that he would see his destruction right before his very eyes.

**Author's Note: I know you guys are ready to see what happens to Jacob and everyone, so I PROMISE that in the next chapter, there will action and more importantly, drama. Figuring out how to end this story has been even more of a challenge than I orignally thought, haha!**

**Anyways, YOU GUYS ROCK! 201 reviews! Awesome! I'm so proud of you guys and thank you to everyone who has reviewed/alerted/favorited this story. It's been so much fun to write this story and to see how interested you all have become in it.**

**Since we reached 200 reviews, I am going to try my absolute hardest to get the next chapter up by tomorrow. I'm already working on it and will continue to work on it as soon as this is posted. Thanks again guys!**


	39. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I own very little, as you know :)**

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Confrontation

The archers snuck into the poorly guarded gates of Telmar and crept along the shadows, careful not to be spotted by anyone who might have been lingering in the city. I lost sight of them after they got far enough into the city, but I kept an eye out at the top of the castle walls for any patrols that could be walking across. However, this was rather pointless considering that the rain was so thick that I could hardly see much of anything.

Caspian wanted to move the men back behind the ridge, just in case anything could be seen from the castle. Sloshing through the mud, I led the troops farther down the ridge and after everyone was well in their place, I moved back up to where Caspian stood, watching the castle intently.

Seconds later, Reepicheep and his troop of mice came scurrying toward us.

"Your majesties, we are ready on your word!" Reepicheep yelled to us over the storm.

Caspian nodded, still keeping a close watch on the castle before turning back to the mouse," You can go now! Be careful, Reepicheep!"

The drenched mouse looked up at us and gave us one more bow before turning and leading his mice toward Telmar. They would have little problems with blending in at Telmar considering their size. Since they were gone, the only thing left for Caspian and I to do was wait for them to breach the walls and open the gates. Thankfully, the rain let up ever so slightly to where we could make out the castle walls. At that moment, the gates were still closed shut. There was very little we would be able to do until they were opened.

The both of us moved behind one of the trees," You think this could actually work?" I asked him, wiping strands of my soaked hair out of my face.

Caspian looked around the tree to get an update on the situation before turning back to me," It looks as though the archers have taken care of what little men they have on guard and I trust Reepicheep will get the job done."

"As do I, but you didn't answer my question," I stated as a flash of lightning lit up the night sky. "Can we really finish Jacob?"

He looked at me seriously then said," We stand a fair chance."

He turned back around the corner to catch another glance. I looked for myself and watched as an arrow pierced through one of the men running along the top of the castle, more than likely trying to avoid the rain. If the castle really was as poorly guarded as it appeared to be, then I had to agree with Caspian that we did stand a fair chance; however, I knew better than to underestimate Jacob so much as that.

"The gates are open!" Caspian exclaimed seconds later, moving away from the tree and running down the ridge.

Quickly, I followed him down the ridge to grab the men. We hadn't any clue as to how long the gates would stay open, but we had to move while they were. It took very little work to get everyone ready and within seconds we were running up and over the ridge. Adrenaline was running through my veins as we sloshed through the swampy ground, mud flying everywhere and came upon the city. Any fears or thoughts of worry that I had were now a thing of the past. My mind was set on one thing and that was taking care of this problem once and for all.

Whenever we reached Telmar, I noticed that the city looked even worse up close. Words could hardly describe the look of the trashed streets and dirtied homes. Swiftly, we ran through the streets, heading straight for the castle gates. Out of the side of my eye I could see citizens peering out their windows to see just what was going on. Some even had the audacity to come out and demand what was going on.

"Who do you think you think-" one rather plump man yelled at us as we came down the streets, a look of determination set on our faces.

"Sir, please, just go back inside. We don't want anyone to get hurt!" Caspian said calmly, as we passed the man, hardly giving the man any opportunity to dispute.

The man was silenced and stepped back inside the door frame, watching as we flooded the streets. Several other innocent citizens came to their windows and doors to see us, but we had little time to acknowledge any of them. After moving through the city, we came to the castle gates. Without stopping, we crossed the drawbridge that led to the gate. How odd it felt to be standing on castle ground once again...never had I thought that doing this...coming back to the castle would have been so simple.

We stopped briefly, mostly in awe that we were once again standing in the castle. Both Caspian and I looked around and saw nothing. A roll of thunder echoed through the land as the rest of the men stepped casually into the castle.

"Here we stand," Caspian mumbled to me as we stepped foot into the castle grounds. "And no one comes to meet us."

I said nothing to this, but merely examined my surroundings. The courtyard lie directly in front of us, as well as the gates to the main castle. Even with the rain in the background, everything seemed much too quiet. This seemed to be much too easy. I had an unsteadiness sink into my stomach as I looked ahead to the dark courtyard.

Reepicheep and his troop came sliding down the ropes, a look of absolute panic on their faces. They scurried over to us saying," You must get inside the castle, and fast! Jacob-"

And just as they said that, an arrow breezed passed my shoulder and landed in the ground right at my foot. Shocked, I looked up to see that an entire troop of archers was lining the wall of the castle, preparing for battle. Caspian and I shot one another a look before he yelled.

"GET TO THE CASTLE! FAST!" He screamed as loudly as he could and stepped aside as all of our men stormed the castle grounds. They were fairly quick on their feet, but that didn't stop Jacob's men from taking out one or two of them as they ran away in retreat. Caspian ran ahead to be with the front lines while I waited for the rest of the men to pile into the castle.

The last ones to cross were the archers, who immediately knew what needed to be done without my saying a word to them. Instantly, they hid themselves in the shadows, but still near one another to where they could get a clear shot of the archers up above. One by one, Jacob's men started to fall at the top by the arrows of _our _archers, but I had little time to watch for I heard the cries of men coming from the courtyard. I gulped at the sound of this. It sounded as though this was about to get much more difficult.

Hastily, I grabbed my sword from its place at my waist and charged my way toward the battle that had begun. Though there were not many of Jacob's men fighting, the fact still stood that Jacob knew we were in the castle. Fights had broken out all over the courtyard and the image mirrored that of the raid which had taken place nearly two years ago with the Pevensies.

There was little time to observe the battle for I was soon attacked by a man coming from the shadows. Jacob was trying to surround us, I assumed, for several more men flooded out of the dark corridors of the courtyard. They came from all sides, ready to attack.

I clashed swords with one of the men and nearly dropped my sword. He was much larger than I was, very bulky and very strong. I realized soon that there was only one way that I could ever defeat him. I had to be quicker than he was. With a dumb smile on his face, he raised his sword high and swung down with nearly all the power he could muster. Seeing where he was going I sidestepped as he picked up his blade from the ground. Angry, he swung at me sideways, trying to slice my midsection. I stepped back and as his sword was still in the opposite direction, I plunged my sword deep into his muscular build and watched as he feel, limp to the ground, blood oozing from his lips. I used nearly all my might to pull the sword out of him and got it out just in time to take on another man coming toward me.

This continued on nearly in a sequence with many close calls. As soon as I would finish with one, another would come at me even more vicious than the one before. I shouldn't say that I defeated every single one that came at me because there were several times that I was knocked off my feet, sliced, and even beaten. It was only by the grace of Aslan that someone came to assist me in my most vulnerable moments. Men continued to swarm us from all directions, but there was no way to tell who was winning the battle. On both sides, men were falling.

It took me several minutes to locate Caspian, but whenever I did, I noticed that he was fighting near the main gate to the castle. I ran up beside him and joined in on the action, between swings, he spoke to me over the battle, rain, and thunder.

"They can open the gates if we can keep them covered," he breathed heavily to me, leaning out of the way as a soldier swung wildly at him. "I don't know how many more they've got, but we can only take risks!"

I nodded my head and jumped out of the way as a man took a jab at me. Quickly, I jabbed back and caught him right in the shoulder, enough to knock him down. Caspian and I fought alongside each other, careful to keep the men opening the gates protected. They took much longer than I thought they would, but at least progress was being made.

Briefly, I looked over the battle and saw that things were still much too close, not that I expected anything different. Every time one of our men fell, I cringed, but it only took seconds for one or even two of Jacob's men to fall in return. The storm was still very loud and threatening. On any other night, I would have much rather been inside, but tonight the storm had played to our advantage. Throughout the courtyard, mud was pooling from the intenst rainfall along with the dead bodies and blood of the men who were injured. Rain was still whipping in our faces, but I hardly paid much attention to it.

I saw Reepicheep, running around as though he was on cloud nine. There was no where else that this little mouse would have rather been than there fighting alongside us. He was swinging wildly at Jacob's men, who hardly even knew what was coming to them. Aside from Reepicheep, every once and a while an arrow or two would come flying astray from where the archery battle was taking place. Sadly enough, the stray arrows were enough to take out a man or two on their own.

Just as more men were coming through one of the open gates, I heard a rumble. I thought that it was perhaps the sound of the storm over our heads, but tt wasn't the sound of thunder. This rumble came from behind one of the castle gates. Immediately, I looked at Caspian, my eyes wide with curiosity as to just what could be making that sound. Moments later, a monstrous howl was released and the ground seemed to shake wildly under our feet. There was a pause in the battle as we all looked upon just what was the culprit of making so much of a ruckus.

"Surely, it can't be giants?" I asked Caspian shakily, too in awe to take my eyes off the gates.

He swallowed hard before looking back to me," I sure hope not."

To our demise, one large, ugly creature emerged from the gate and released another howl as it swung its large club around, sweeping out nearly a quarter of our entire army in doing so. I gasped and instinctively ran the opposite direction as the creature came running toward us. It wasn't nearly as tall as any giant I remembered seeing.

"It's a troll, Rosalie!" Caspian exclaimed as the nasty thing came running straight for us. We ran into one of the courtyard corridors and hid behind a statue.

"Troll? How did Jacob manage-?" I tried questioning, but I was interrupted by the sound of the troll swinging his club and bringing down the awning over our heads. Quickly, we ran farther down the corridor.

"I don' t think now-" The troll entered the corridor and began swinging wildly. "Is the time," the monster loomed over the both of us and reared back to throw his club right at us. Caspian and I jumped out of the way and moved back into the courtyard, but just barely. "For questions."

I looked back to get a better image of the troll. It had to be nearly seven feet tall with green colored, rough skin. Its eyes were a dark brown, nearly black and wide set. Fat seemed to be rolling off the beast, which seemed to answer the question as to why the ground rumbled when this thing walked. This monster lacked much clothing at all. There was only a thin strip of cloth covering his lower half and that was it.

We sprinted as quickly as we could and seemed to have made a successful run for it. The troll seemed to be a little slow in realizing what had happened. As we stood in the sea of men, the troll looked all around and in defeat, dropped his club. Just after doing so, he let out a ferocious sneeze and drenched nearly all of Jacob's men standing at his feet in a thick, green-yellow goo.

"That's disgusting," I commented to Caspian as the men tried wiping the thick substance from their bodies. It appeared as though the troll was far too daft to even realize what he had done.

Before Caspian could say a word, we were struck once more by another armed man of Jacob's. We fought through what men stood there as long as we could, but soon moved back over to the main gate of the castle, where the men seemed to have nearly broken the gate off its hinges.

"Your majesty!" One of our men cried for Caspian. "We're nearly there, keep us covered for just a few more seconds."

Caspian nodded before turning back to the battle.

The troll, on the other hand, seemed to still be very confused just as to where Caspian and I had gone off to. He was running around, tearing nearly the entire courtyard apart looking for us. It baffled me at how dumb the creature was and seemed to have no common sense whatsoever. Before I could even mention how grateful I was there was just a single troll, the ground rumbled once more and the monstrous troll growl seemed to duplicate in number.

Three more trolls came pounding through the same gates, opposite side of the courtyard. They were just as big and clumsy as the first had been, but the four of them together could be quite dangerous. I couldn't help but release a groan in aggravation as the three of them began swinging wildly at the men on the ground. Instinctively, they seemed to be moving toward the gate, which we were well on our way to opening.

"Looks like we've got trouble!" Caspian cried as another one of Jacob's men took a stab at him and he backed away quickly.

"Let me handle this!" I called back to him at which he argued, but I was already on my way.

"Rosalie, don't do anything-"

I didn't hear him finish that phrase, but I think I understood the jest of what he was saying. After taking care of one more man swinging at me, I ran out to the middle of the courtyard. Just as I did so, the gate to the castle swung open and our men started to run inside. Automatically, the four trolls looked over to the gate and started to storm the castle, but I knew that I could never allow for that to happen. Instead, I tucked away my sword and ran to the middle of the courtyard. I was posing no threat to them.

"Rosalie, c'mon!" Caspian yelled, another bolt of lightning struck at the top of the castle walls.

I deliberately ignored him because I knew that I would never live with myself if I lived to see these brutes destroy the castle. Taking a deep breath in, I climbed atop of the dry fountain in the middle of the courtyard and opened my mouth to yell," HEY-!"

All four of their heads turned toward me stupidly, I opened my mouth to finish the phrase, but before I could, a horn could be heard off in the distance. It had been quite a while since I had heard that horn before and could hardly place just who it belonged to. Curiosity was about to kill me, but the thought then occurred to me that perhaps I was just imagining things. If a horn had really sounded, then help would be on the way...we never called for help. I there assumed that the horn was merely a figment of my imagination.

Several moments after the horn had silenced, Caspian spoke again.

"Rosalie!" Caspian cried warningly; he didn't like the looks of where this was going and, quite frankly, neither did I.

"I'M THE ONE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, RIGHT?" I screamed over the pounding rain and thunder. "IT'S ME YOU WANT! NOT THEM!"

"ROSALIE!" Caspian screamed as his men tried to get him to storm the castle.

"Go, Caspian!" I called to him before turning my attention back to the trolls, who were now making their way slowly toward me, as if they actually understood what I was yelling.

The ground rumbled at the sound of their feet moving toward me as I cried again," That's right! It's me! I'm the one!"

I knew that I had to think of some way out of this, but at the moment I hadn't any idea as to how I could distract them and keep myself safe. Nevertheless, I kept eye contact with the trolls as they moved toward me and saw out of the side of my eye as Caspian was arguing with his men over whether to go or stay.

"Rosalie, I swear if you don't-" Caspian yelled, coming toward me.

"STOP! GET OUT OF HERE!" I screamed back at him, not wanting him to be in their war path. "PLEASE!"

I held eye contact with my husband for seemingly ages before he finally took several steps toward the castle gates. I knew that he didn't want to leave and, quite honestly, I would have loved for him to have been able to help, but he just couldn't this time. It pained me to ask him to leave me like this, but it was our only option for the time being. Reluctantly, he allowed his men to lead him into the castle, closely followed by several of Jacob's men.

"You-sister?" One of the trolls, who was now standing directly over me, grunted at me in very broken speech.

"Yes," I said calmly, looking into the eyes of the atrocious creature. "Jacob is my brother."

"You are not friend," Another troll spoke, struggling with his words.

"We take you to brother," The third troll grumbled, snot rolling out of his nose.

I held back the urge to throw up and then suddenly, the fourth troll swept his chunky arm around and grabbed me by the waist. He lifted me from the fountain and kept an iron-tight grip on me, to be sure that I wasn't going anywhere. He may not have been extremely tall, but he was quite bulky and I hadn't any clue as to how I was getting myself out of this mess. I immediately wished that I would have thought the situation through entirely.

Around me, I noticed that what remained of our archers was now shooting arrows at the trolls, to try and bring them down, but it seemingly had no affect on them. The only thing that mattered was that they were no longer focused on the gate being opened since they were such simple minded creatures. I could only hope that Caspian really had followed my orders and went onward to try and get to the throne room.

The stench that hung about the trolls was almost as unbearable as the grip at which he was holding me. I felt as though my air was about to be cut off as he kept on squeezing tighter and tighter. If he didn't let up, then I might as well have been dead before Jacob ever saw me. Not only were _they_ unbearable, but the pace at which they were walking was even more obnoxious. I felt as though if we should go any slower then we would have been going backwards.

As we traveled, more and more men tried to bring down the trolls, which seemed to stall them even more. I wanted so badly to tell them to stop and allow me to go along with them, but I didn't want to frighten the trolls any more than necessary. They grunted to one another and the other ones that weren't holding me started to take swings at the men on the ground. They were so irritated that I hardly thought they were aiming specifically for our men or Jacob's men; they were simply swinging away.

To my surprise, the giant holding me loosened up on the grip and I was able to take in a load of air. I didn't know how or when, but I needed to get out of his grasp somehow. I started squirming, ever so slightly, and even at the smallest movement he tightened back to an iron grip and grunted at me, as if scolding me.

Just as he was turning away to take me out of the courtyard, he stopped, dead in his tracks. Confused as to what was going on, I looked around to see just what was happened. In the back of the creature's neck, I noticed a knife as well as plenty of arrows. This wasn't just any old knife, but a hand carved knife. Excitement built within me as I moved about to see just who threw this. It seemed as though this troll had taken one blow too many.

Like a whirlwind, arrow after arrow pounded the giant in the back. I craned my neck just enough to see where this was coming from and had to catch my breath whenever I saw the sight of an entire army of centaurs running toward the drawbridge. That explained the sounding of the horn! I hadn't been imagining things and really had heard the sound of a horn.

Before I could get too excited, I noticed that there were still Jacob's men lingering at the top of the castle. Just before the centaurs could arrive, they were already pulling up the drawbridge.

"SOMEBODY RELEASE THE GATE!" I screamed, not caring if the troll heard me or not. "GO, GO!"

Reepicheep, who had not yet entered the castle, turned back and looked up to the castle walls. He nodded to me before scampering off to take care of the problem. Moments later, I felt the grip around my waist loosen and then I was falling for the troll had taken one too many arrows and was falling dead to the ground. My fall was not at all pleasant and I felt as though I had probably broken something from it, but I hadn't much time to react. Blood filled my mouth from the impact of my jaw to the ground and it would have been safe to say that I had little energy to actually get up from my spot on the ground. Despite my pain, I tried getting to my feet and managed to after several tries. It appeared as though Reepicheep had been successful in his attempt to release the drawbridge, for seconds later, the courtyard was filled with centaurs.

"Rosalie!" A voice cried, but it was not one of the magnificent creatures that was now attack the ever-growing troop of Jacob's men. This person was sitting atop of a horse. My horse.

"Stephen!" I exclaimed, as happily as I could as he rode Kingslee over to me. "What are you doing here?"

He gave me a small smile as Kingslee came to a halt," Emily and I ran into the centaurs on our way out. She wouldn't allow for me to pass up that opportunity. I argued and argued, but she told me I had to come. She hadn't seen the centaurs rowled up like that in a long time and taking into consideration which direction they were heading…we knew you all were in need of assistance."

"Where is she?" I asked curiously, hoping that the servant girl was finding rest.

"She's staying with the female centaurs back at their camp, a long ways from here. They offered to take her whenever I told them who we were. They were a little wary at first, but somehow, someway they believed me. She's in great hands; they want to give her more medical treatment to heal the wounds," He explained as quickly as he could. " Now, on a different note, about all _this_ I was thinking about going to rescue Trina while you-"

Suddenly, I felt some hit me hard over the head. My vision became blurred and eventually black as I fell to the ground, out cold.

* * *

Whenever I woke up, I hardly recognized my surroundings. After my vision had fully returned, I looked around and noticed that this must have been the throne room. I had no recollection of what had just happened, but all I knew was that I had a nasty bump on the back of my head from whatever had knocked me out.

"Release us, Jacob!" a voice demanded, I realized that this must have been Caspian.

The other male voice, which I assumed to be Jacob chuckled darkly. Still, my head was not entirely focused, but I listened carefully to what he had to say," And why would I do something as silly as that? I've been searching for the both of you for much too long to do something like that. You've caused me far too much trouble, _brother_."

I saw out of the side of my eye as Jacob came face-to-face with Caspian, who was being held back by two of the largest men I had ever seen," You dare call me 'brother' after all this?" He snarled at Jacob.

"Once in the family, always in the family. Or so I've heard it said," Jacob responded with a rather smart tone to his voice. "I guess I should give you and Rosalie some credit. I never thought I would see King Caspian alive again."

Feeling as though it would be necessary for me to include myself in this, I sat up painfully and looked directly at Jacob.

"In fact, I might just be some of the only family you've got left, seeing as my stupid trolls seemed to have killed your little wife," Jacob said, much colder this time.

He hadn't a clue that I was staring a hole through him. His back was turned to me this entire time, and Caspian, who was very well aware that I was alive, smirked at him. Slowly, I rose to my feet and felt a shooting pain rush through my entire body. Before he could turn around to see me for himself, I called him out," Jacob!"

Instantly, he turned on his heel with a look of absolute horror on his face. Slowly, he seemed to forget that Caspian was in the room and came walking toward me with a humorless smirk on his face," So they didn't kill you."

"I don't feel dead, so I guess that would be accurate," I said, placing a smile on my face.

Jacob's smirk disappeared as he came closer to me. We were face-to-face when he said," Why do you live?"

My smile disappeared," Because I have a country that needs saving."

He started laughing insanely as he backed away from me and strolled over to his window that overlooked the courtyard," Country that needs saving? Well, it looks as though you may as well go back to where you came from because I'm sorry to inform you that you're on the losing side of this battle."

Watching him carefully, I moved over to the window to see a courtyard filled with dead men. Our men. Very few were left and the only major force we still had going for us was the centaurs. I couldn't help but feel a ping of guilt as I looked upon the dead bodies, but there was still hope. There was always hope until the very end.

"What say you to that, your _majesty_?" He hissed mockingly in my ear, as I continued to watch more of Jacob's men come storming out from the gates, showing no mercy whatsoever.

"I say that I will not give up hope until the last of our men is killed," I said proudly, refusing to look at him or give him the satisfaction he so desired of seeing me crumble.

He started laughing mockingly once more as he strolled to Caspian's throne at the front of the room. I took the chance to observe how dull the room looked. There were no paintings, no vases, no artwork. In fact, I believe the walls were absolutely bare and the tile in front of his throne was... _bloodstained_. The sight of this nearly made me sick, but I had to keep a composed look on my face as I came to face my brother once more.

"Pride. Something that you've always struggled with, Rosalie," He told me as he grabbed a grape from the bowl beside him. "Probably the reason why mother and father are dead."

Anger was boiling once again inside me, but I had to stay calm, "Mother is dead because of _father_. Father is dead because of _pride_."

"I thought you might take that side, but I'm here to try and prove to you one last time that you're wrong. Had you never run away to save _Caspian_, then mother would have never died. Father said he would have never killed her should you have come home."

"Jacob!-" I struggled, but he had no interest in my arguements.

"Rosalie, there is no sense in arguing with me. I know the truth and you have merely been told lies about everything. You killed father because you wanted your little boyfriend to become king; you wanted power. I understand that. In a sense, you are just as bad as me," He said to me with a smile on his face. "Only I was acting on behalf of someone whom I wanted avenged. That being our father, whom you wrongfully murdered."

I couldn't contain it any longer," Jacob, did you ever think that maybe I acted in the way that I did in order to protect you? Had our father become king, then he would have destroyed Narnia very similar to what you have done. He lied to all of us, Jacob. Caspian was the next one in line to the throne anyways, he _deserved_ to be king! It mattered little to me about being _powerful_.

"And did you ever think that I wanted someone avenged, as well? What about mother, Jacob? Don't you know that I loved her more than anyone? Father took away my dearest role model-"

"Your words are meaningless, Rosalie, unless you are agreeing with me!" Jacob roared, sitting forward in the throne. "Apparently, this is something that you and I will never see eye to eye on, but it was worth trying to solve one last time, I suppose. For the record, before you die, I want you to leave with the thought that our mother was a liar, a traitor, and a fool, just like you. If only you could understand…"

"If only _I_ could understand?" I howled incredulously. "I think it should be the other way-"

"Silence!" Jacob roared once more over my tirade as he moved on to another topic.

"There are three simple things that I want to know from you before I kill you," Jacob said, his voice much more calm as his eyes peered straight into mine.

I said nothing and waited for him to speak once again.

"I want to know if you killed my companion, General. Is that another murder you have committed?" He asked me, his voice very soft yet sinister.

I looked away and closed my eyes in thought of General falling dead under Caspian's blade. To prevent Jacob from doing anything worse to Caspian, I opened my mouth to take the blame for it.

"I killed him!" Caspian exclaimed from behind us before I could cover for him. I was silently regretting his decision for him. "He was a traitor, Jacob. Something that you don't like very much at all. I was the one to take his life, not Rosalie."

"Ah, so it was your husband. I can actually understand the reasoning behind that murder so, urm, well done," Jacob said, with little emotion to his voice as he shot a cold look toward Caspian.

For some reason, I had a feeling that Jacob wasn't actually congratulating us on that, but rather using a very dry type of sarcasm.

"Another topic I want to discuss is just how Caspian escaped those nymphs because I made a rather severe deal with them to never release you. I would like to know what became of those lovely women," Jacob asked, actually showing some signs of remorse in his voice which only made me want to be sick.

"I found Caspian there, Jacob," I replied strongly, trying not to become upset by the thought of what had happened with the nymphs. "Emily and I were going to save Caspian and the rest of his men from those _vulgar_ creatures. Had it not been Aslan, who was on our side, then we would have never accomplished it. We can hardly take any credit for that."

Jacob stared at me for a long moment before saying," Aslan? Is that your way of coming up with an excuse as to not answering my question?"

I shook my head, trying to convince him that I was telling him the truth," Jacob, it's-"

He shushed me again with the shake of his head, as if he were talking to a child. I did not appreciate the treatment that he was giving me at all, but what bothered me most was that I could do nothing to stop him from treating me this way," I do not wish to argue with you about these things. If you wish to lie, then you will die. I will have it no other way."

I bit down on my lip hard and waited impatiently for him to ask his last question. He stood up from the throne and began pacing around me. With a close eye on me, he asked his final question," Have you yet to find out what my big secret is?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, staring at the stained glass window that appeared to be broken, straight ahead of me over the throne.

"How I did this?" He asked, putting both of his hands out wide as he did a turn in front of me, as if showing off his long, majestic robe and crown atop of his head. "How I took Narnia for myself?"

I scrutinized his face for a long hard moment before replying simply," Yes."

My brother raised a brow at me with the slightest smirk on his face," Oh really?"

"How you used our own men against us? How you took advantage of ancient creatures that possess powers no man should be fooling with? How you lied to many just to get your way? How you deceived the people in that village along with Stephen, just so that they would follow you?" I asked, spewing off the questions faster than I could think. "Stephen saved your life. You should have died along with our greedy father, but he showed you grace. He felt sorry for you. You repaid him by nearly burning down his city the first time and then by your men completely destroying his inn the second time."

Jacob stopped in his tracks and blinked hard at me. He swallowed hard and looked away before looking back to me and with a stuttering voice saying," H-how do you k-know all of that? How did you meet-"

"The night I escaped, Jacob, I spoke with Cornelius, who sent me on a journey of my own. It just so happened that this journey took me through Stephen's town. I needed a place to stay for the night and we learned all that I needed to know about you from Stephen. He was nothing but your friend, who wanted the best for you and tried to warn you of the dangerous road you were going down. In fact, you wouldn't have the army you have today if it weren't for him," I spat back at him, as the color began to drain from Jacob's face.

Jacob looked away for a long while, with his back turned to me. He seemed to be deep in thought for the longest time before he turned back around to face me once more.

"You know where the Cruels were located?" He asked me with a shaky voice.

"Yes, we watched your men try to cover up the evidence that anything would ever be there. In fact, that's the reason why you never received your latest shipment of new troops because the truth of the matter is that we had to place ourselves in harm's way to save them from you," I said to him, looking him straight in the eye as he continued to lose color in his face.

"You must have come directly from there. That means that…Penelope…and the servant, Emily. You knew where I was sending her didn't you?" Jacob growled at me, coming closer. "You must have seen them…"

I took a step back," Penelope is in our custody. As well as the other men that survived the skirmish. I couldn't have allowed you to do to her what you did to our sister. We had another source in the castle that night other than just Emily, Jacob. A little mouse by the name of Reepicheep was there right along wit her. The entire time. Don't think for one second you will ever get away with the treatment you put her through," I growled the last part to him, hardly caring about his reaction.

"She deserved it!" He snarled back at me. "I don't regret it one bit and as for our sister, I hardly care much about that. She's of no use to you for, as you could probably tell, her brain belongs to me. Everything she does, I have commanded her to do. Are you wondering how I pulled this one off? I'm assuming that if you really do know Stephen that he told you all about these Cruels and how they opperate. He despises me now. Are you curious as to how I brainwashed a _female?"_

I glared at him, never more had I wanted anyone to be dead than my own brother. I was merely feet from him and the thought of finishing him right there was so incredibly tempting, but I knew what he was about to tell me was probably very important. It would answer a question that both Caspian and I wanted answered for a long time.

"Yes, due to the fact that Cruels only use women as sacrificial bearings. They do not tolerate women as they do men," I answered, watching him closely as he paced about the room.

There was a silence that hung in the room as Jacob seemed to sit in thought before announcing," I assume that since you are about to die anyways…that it wouldn't hurt to reveal to you my last secret."

I turned my head to look at Caspian before looking back to my brother who had planted himself back on the throne. He never ceased to confuse me with all of these mind games he seemed to be playing on us. Never, throughout my entire adventure, did I want him dead as badly as I watched him sit on the throne proudly and call out to one of his men.

"Fetch me Natalia!"

**Author's Note: It's up! Ahh, I spent most of my day writing/editing this, so I hope you all enjoy! Thanks to all reviews/favorites/alerts! You are appreciated greatly :)**


	40. Once and For All

**Disclaimer: I own very little. Narnia and its inhabitants belong to C.S. Lewis.**

Chapter Forty: Once and For All

It didn't take long for the doors to the throne room to be thrown open by a very slender, red cloaked, dark headed woman. This had to have been the woman whom Emily had spoken of. If she really was a part of Jacob's deal with the Cruels, then there was no doubt that she was of great value to him. As she strolled down the middle of throne room with a certain pride to her walk, she shot a look at both Caspian and I before moving to Jacob's side.

"You summoned me?" She purred, her voice heavily accented.

"I did," He whispered back to her. "Now, I'm going to explain this to them. Sit, as I do so."

He got up from the throne as Natalia pulled her cloaks tighter to her body and took a seat in his place. I looked at her, carefully, trying to see if I had ever met her earlier in my life. The cloaks, the hair, the skin, the voice…nothing. She was not familiar. A complete stranger. In fact, I think she was wearing my cloaks. This may have been a petty detail, but it simply added to my already disliking of her.

"There is a detail that Stephen obviously forgot to tell you about the Cruels. However, I don't know if forgot would be an appropriate choice of word because he may have never known from the begging. Anyways, that aside, you are correct when you say that he found them and is basically the cause of my entire army, but what he did not tell you was the state at which we found the Cruels," He said to me; his voice calmer then than it had been the entire night.

"They were never meant to be disturbed," I snarled at him, watching my brother closely as he paced around me once again.

"No, you see I view it as they were being…_starved_," He said silkily to me, pausing ever so slightly. "They needed to be feeding on something and Aslan starved them of that for many, _many_ years. Is this accurate, Natalia?"

He turned his head to the woman sitting on the throne with a rather bored expression on her face. When addressed, she put away the blank expression and immediately lit up," Many, many years," she nodded her head in agreement, trying to look as pathetic as possible. "The White Witch treated the Cruels with at least _some_ respect."

My mind was spinning as to why she really was so crucial and how someone such as her, appearing innocent, would have so much knowledge of the origin of the Cruels and how they had been treated for so long. The days of the White Witch had been quite a long time ago and the fact that Natalia would be able to remember such a thing was nearly impossible. She didn't look that old.

"The White Witch-" I started to question, but was soon cut off by Jacob.

"I made a deal with the Cruels, Rosalie," Jacob said shortly. "I knew what they _could_ do, but I wanted to ensure that I had their trust. Going down there for the first time was, shall we say, quite nerve racking and rather dangerous, but the risk, as you can see, was very worthwhile."

"What did you do?" I asked, slightly scared as to what would happen.

"We made an exchange. I summoned their leader with the help of your dear friend, Stephen, and told him that I would be willing to keep him supplied with many, many humans to take care of their appetite. In addition to that, I would provide a certain number of women for every certain number of men brainwashed. Every time that we took a troop of men, did not mean that a woman was required, you see. There was very little time that Cruels did so desire blood and the blood of women was much more appealing to them than that of men's," Jacob explained to me, very gently and very kindly as if nothing was wrong between the both of us. "In exchange, they would give me the men I needed to form an army, but there was also another little detail that the leader of the Cruels tossed in."

"And what might that be?" I asked, still glaring at him severely.

"He was on my side the entire time, Rosalie. He rather liked He knew that I was going to be struggling to win over the attention of many Narnians. He told me that should I succeed in removing both you and Caspian from the castle, then he would provide me with an additional gift that would help my reign to last, if I was willing to give up part of my soul."

"What do-" I tried, but he merely interuppted and continued.

"Now, before I delve in and give you all the details, you should know that this gift was going to be the key to my reign continuing on throughout many generations. The only way that I would receive this gift was should I get rid of both you and Caspian. If I remember correctly, then I tried to use you in stead of this gift, but not directly," He said to me, looking straight into my eyes as I looked at him with a confused look on my face. "Think about what I tried to make happen, Rosalie. Think about what you nearly killed me for."

"You told me to lie to the people," I stated bluntly at which he smiled.

"But what else happened? What else did I try to get you to do? There was something much more...offensive."

I recollected my memory as to what else happened. The thought of General came back to my head and then, instantly, it all seemed to come together. Well, most of it anyways.

"You made General try to come onto me. That was your plan, now I remember it. You wanted to keep the people of Narnia satisfied, so you thought that you could do that by keeping me as Queen and doing your dirty work through General, who would become my husband. You faked the death of Caspian, took his wedding band from him after placing him with the Cruels and had me believe that he was dead. Had I not observed the casket closely on the day of the funeral, I would be unhappily married to General. That was what happened, but I don't see how that would have helped you to keep your reign going throughout the ages. After the lot of us died, then your little power over the blood line would-" I cut myself off as the puzzle piece seemed to fit together. "You wanted the children."

Jacob smirked and I took this as an invitation to continue on with my thought.

"The whole reason why you wanted me to believe that Caspian was dead was so that I would never have a chance to produce an heir with him! It was in order to protect your own skin; you needed someone to produce an heir for _you_ and you knew that you couldn't come out and kill me, for the people would riot, but you could still _use_ me in getting an heir that way the people would still trust me while I was being controlled completely by you," I shook my head at the brilliance and ridiculousness of that plan. Never before had I thought of that, it was absolutely disgusting, but it quite possibly could have worked had Penelope and Trina not broken me out that night. "You're repulsive."

"You're right on all accounts, Rosalie. I won't deny that, but you see your little friends put a loop in my plan whenever they broke you out that night. I had my suspicions of Trina's loyalty, but that night was what put me over the top with her and I decided to lock her away for good. She was of little value to me which was the reasoning behind her death sentence. Penelope, on the other hand, I simply didn't trust and since I already had an allegiance with the Cruels, I figured that killing Penelope was not an option; she was my sister, but brainwashing her…that was not off limits.

"Over that next week, I locked away Trina and put her children away, as well. In addition to that, I took a trip out to see the Cruels. With you gone and the castle mine, I could finally receive this 'gift' that would allow me to keep my reign going through the generations. Whenever I arrived, their lord approached me and asked me if I was still willing to give up a piece of my soul. I answered with another deal and asked if he would be willing to make an exception to the men-only rule. He said that he would, but it would be very risky for the blood of women is very tempting for the Cruels, but I told him that it was not a problem. If she died, it would not be on my hands. In addition, I told him that I would then be willing to give up a piece of myself for this gift.

"You've heard the story of creation and how woman came from a part of man. The only way that I can describe this process is like a darker, much more painful version of that. I do not necessarily understand in whole what happened, but all I knew that after the pain of having a piece of my spirit ripped from me had wore off, then, standing before me was a beautiful woman. Her father reminded me that she was a living proof that I was to remember the deal I had with the Cruels. Should I choose to neglect them, then she will be the death of me and not only that, but they would return Penelope back to her rightful mind. Natalia is a gift from the Cruels to Narnia. She is the reason why I am going to continue to have an impact well after I am gone because of the heirs we will produce together. Granted, I never knew that he was taking the whole 'rein for generations gift' literally by giving me a woman, but nevertheless, we were both in a winning situation."

I stared at him in complete shock. This story…this account…it was too risky. It was dangeorus and completely neurotic, but it seemed to have worked flawlessly for Jacob thus far. He nearly killed Penelope! I burned up nearly at the _thought_ of that. He was placing his trust in those mentally unstable Cruels to keep her from dying! Preposterous!

Sitting upon the throne, still, was this beautiful woman, whom he had just told me the story of. I could only imagine how tortured a soul she must have had; however. She was part human and part Cruel; that was not a very pleasant combination. These two species despised one another, and she must have had plenty of emotional battles because of that.

"She can't be entirely human; however, that would be nearly impossible," I said after his entire spiel was finished. I was hardly thinking as I spoke, but merely thinking aloud. "That would mean she is only a half-blood."

"Half-blood?" Natalia questioned angrily from the throne, taking my comment as a direct insult. "Is that what she just called me, Jacob?"

Jacob turned and immediately put a calmed look on his face," Natalia, dear, she doesn't understand-"

"HOW DARE SHE!" The woman screeched as she rose to her feet, giving me a glare that spelled out death. Instantly, she charged after me, but Jacob caught her halfway and growled to her.

"Natalia, we spoke about what we were to do should this happen. You need to let me take care of this," He said, placing both hands on her shoulders.

The enticing face that she had worn before was seeming to warp. Her body was still a human's body, but her face was in between stages of changing between her normal self and that of a Cruel. The image itself was quite frightening and I had no idea what to make of it, slowly, seeing as the both of them were distracted I moved backward looking for any type of weapon I could find, but it seemed as though I was out of luck. She released a blood curling scream, very similar to the sounds we heard from the Cruels before. Her body began shaking and she seemed to be calming down.

Moments later, she seemed to be changing back to normal and I watched as she took a deep breath in and apologized to Jacob, quietly. He nodded, understanding and kissed her softly on the lips before guiding her back to the throne. I knew that upsetting Natalia was dangerous, but it seemed to distract Jacob quite a bit…if only…if only I could manage to do that again. Perhaps, I could distract her again enough to where I could get a better look around the place. That was, assuming Jacob would calm her down again.

"You dare offend the love of my life?" Jacob growled, a certain darkness to his voice as he came walking toward me, I noticed a long sword in his hands. It wasn't just any sword; it was Caspian's sword. Caspian's _original_ sword. The King of Narnia's sword.

"The love of your life? She is not the love of your life, the love of your life is power!" I shot a glance up at Natalia to see if this had any effect on her, it seemed to have very little, but she did narrow her eyes at me. "Don't you realize that, Natalia? Look at what your father did …he gave you away like a piece of property. You were just a part of a trade to your father and to the 'love of your life'."

This seemed to have much more of an effect on her. She began gritting her teeth and sitting on the edge of the throne. I watched as she bared her teeth at me and started turning into a nasty creature once more. This time, Jacob didn't turn around to stop her. He merely kept coming toward me with the blade tight in his hand. I swallowed hard and realized that this was probably one of the most foolish things I had ever done. There were plenty more questions that I would have loved to have answered, but for some reason I had a feeling that they would probably never be answered. The look on the both of the their faces was enough to tell me that the end was growing dreadfully near.

I looked over at Caspian, seeing if he could provide any light on the matter, but he had struggled too much for it appeared as though the man holding him was now holding him tightly around the neck.

"It's all going to be over now, Rosalie. The servant girl being whipped, saving your little husband, sending all these men in here to defeat me, _killing father_, it will have all been done in vain," He said to me, pure evil coming from his lips. "I will finish you once and for all, but first, I want you to see _your_ loved one, killed. I want you to feel the pain that I felt the day father died."

His voice was starting to shake and he was nearly trembling was anger as he advanced toward Caspian. The bulky man holding Caspian handed him over to Jacob, who immediately curled his hand into a fist and punched him straight to the ground. Caspian, already weak, lay face down on the ground and Jacob kicked him over.

I charged forward to somehow help, but before I could get anywhere near, Natalia had appeared behind me and grabbed me tight. I struggled against her, but had little control over what was to happen next. Still, I wanted to think that this wasn't over and that it couldn't end like this…but the cries of the men and centaurs dying outside wasn't much of a comfort…nor was the sight of the true king of Narnia, my husband, my best friend…on the ground about to be killed, a pleasant sight either. As much as I wanted to stop it, there was no way that I could.

"You're just as pathetic as she is! Just as weak and cowardly as her! You may be the real king of Narnia, but who would follow someone as dismal as you?" Jacob growled, standing over Caspian with his sword held high.

"Jacob, you don't understand what you're doing if you drop that sword. If you kill me then-"

"Then things are going to be a lot easier. Narnia will be run _properly_!" He roared, but just as he lifted the sword back, Caspian spoke again.

"Properly?" He spat back incredulously. "Have you seen the people out there, Jacob? Have you taken a good look at Telmar? It's in ruins and if you don't get control of those trolls out there then you may as well deface the entire castle! You're starving the nation of its full potential, not helping it!"

Jacob was silent, as if he was actually thinking about what Caspian said, but he merely shook his head and proceeded to pull the blade back farther.

"Jacob, please," I begged him, hardly able to stand the sight of Caspian nearly being killed at his hands. This wasn't how it was suppose to end. "Please."

Jacob acted as though he had heard nothing and in one fluent motion, brought the sword up and over his head to kill Caspian. The blade never touched Caspian. It never harmed him for before Jacob could ever meet Caspian's body with the blade, the doors to the throne room were thrown open once more, but this time it was no one that was on Jacob's side. Before Jacob could murder Caspian, a knife came flying through the air and caught Jacob square in the shoulder. The blow was not enough to kill Jacob, but merely to throw him off balance. Natalia, shocked, loosened her grip ever so slightly, and I was able to shake loose of her.

I looked over and saw Stephen and Trina coming into the room with two or three other men behind them. At their feet, Reepicheep and his troop of men. A smile came to my face to see that Trina was alive and well. I hardly had time to look at who else was there for I was set on getting the sword and finishing this once and for all. Just as I was able to retrieve the sword and grab my injured brother, pinning him against the wall; I was interrupted.

A lion's roar erupted throughout the entire throne room, just after more battles had broken out around the room. Instantly, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the majestic lion sitting on its haunches at the back of the room. He looked so peaceful, sitting there, but I knew that there must have been something that was displeasing him for him to show himself to us.

"Rosalie, release him. I will allow you to finish this, but first there is a lesson that needs to be taught," Aslan commanded me, his voice still calm, but stern as well.

Reluctantly, I stepped away from Jacob, who was wide-eyed with fear looking at Aslan. I loved Aslan and respected him greatly, but what exactly was he planning on doing here?

Slowly, the lion walked forward toward Jacob and continued walking until he was standing directly in front of him. I was well out of the way and was very interested to see how this was going to go over.

"My son, what have you done?" Aslan asked, shaking his head with a look of disappointment on his face. "You have killed innocent Narnians, fallen into the sins of greed, lust, power hunger, you have forsaken your family, but most of all…you have experimented with creatures that I never intended for you to touch."

"A-Aslan, your highness, your majesty, y-your-" Jacob stuttered, but Aslan merely shook his head to silence him.

"You do not know me, Jacob, therefore you need not refer to me by such titles. You have had plenty of chances to come back to the light and follow me again, but have deliberately refused them to follow your own path to destruction. I will not stop Rosalie from killing you for she is doing it out of concern for others and her nation, but I would be breaking my word if I did not give you one last chance to change."

"A-anything-" Jacob started, but Aslan shook his head.

"Do not make promises so soon for the price you need to pay is very high. I want you to go back to the Cruels and apologize for your disrupting them. Not only that, but I want you to reverse the dark magic you have placed upon this 'army' of yours and your own sister. That type of magic is not to be-"

"You don't understand them," Jacob interrupted, finding a new courage somewhere deep within to say such a thing to the creator of Narnia.

Aslan seemed taken aback by this," Jacob, they have deceived you into believing that they have been starving all these years and that is the very reason why I banished them down there long ago. It was the White Witch who re-discovered them and it is my fault that I did no relocate them to a more desolate place where they, like the nymphs could live in peace."

"They were dying without human intervention. You were…you were ignoring them!" Jacob exclaimed and I was in absolute shock at how forward he was being with Aslan. He had no respect for the lion whom had given us everything.

"Jacob, I do not ignore-"

"You are lying!" Jacob cried and unless I was mistaken, he sounded as though he was getting emotional, as he backed away from the lion. "I needed help and they gave it to me. They needed help because you wouldn't give it to them!"

I watched Aslan carefully. He was not becoming angered or upset, but he stayed calm. A placid aura still hung about him even though the emotions were running high. Regretfully shaking his head, the lion spoke again," Then you leave me no choice, son of Adam."

Jacob was about to start breaking down into tears, or so it appeared, as the lion took in a deep breath. I hardly knew what the lion was doing, but I stopped predicting what he was doing a long time ago. He raised to all four legs and taking in one deep breath, he released the loudest, most powerful roar that I had ever heard in my entire life. The ground, castle, forest, and all of Narnia must have felt the blow, so loud and powerful.

It felt as though we were experiencing a major earthquake for the trembling never stopped, but in the midst of the commotion, there was a woman's scream. I looked to my left and saw that Natalia, the half-human, half-Cruel, "hybrid" ( I didn't even want to think of calling her a half-blood again…), was screaming and writhing about. Jacob was staring at her with wide eyes, his heart breaking as Natalia seemed to be stuck between two the two breeds. Her torture didn't last for long because within seconds, she simply disappeared.

Jacob was too in awe to say much of anything. We were all stick in absolute shock from the tremendous roar to look at anything other than the lion standing before us. Seconds later, I saw someone standing at the doorframe. I didn't pay much attention at first until a group of people swarmed behind this one person at the door.

I forced my gaze over to the door and saw Penelope, standing with a hand on her hip and a glare on her face. All of the men standing behind her seemed to be Jacob's entire army. Next to her stood Apollo, who looked just as serious. Confused as to what was going on, I started to say something, but was soon interrupted by Penelope's yelling.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU FILTHY SLIME OF A BROTHER!" She exploded, walking hastily toward him, pointing a finger and giving him the absolute look of death. "SHOULD YOU EVER EVEN SPEAK TO ME AGAIN, I SWEAR THAT I WILL-"

"Penelope!" Aslan said severely, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I know that you are upset by this, but I must ask that you leave the situation be for the moment."

She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him for another good minute before actually turning back around to stand at the door frame. Aslan turned his gaze back to Jacob," Do you understand what it is she is upset about?"

"She knows…she knows what I did to her…" Jacob said, putting his head in his hand. "You killed Natalia!"

"They all know, Jacob," Aslan said calmly. "And I did not kill her, but simply sent her back to her original form. Your army that you've created has been destroyed for their minds have been set back to normal now. The magic has been reversed. I do not tolerate the mistreatment of Narnia, Jacob. You should know that now, after I leave, no matter what happens that you had the opportunity. I'm sorry that it must be this way."

And without another word, the lion turned away and walked toward the door. The men started to part ways for the lion to allow him to leave, but before he even reached the men; he seemed to be gone.

Everyone was quiet.

Caspian stood up to break the silence," Rosalie, now's the time."

I nodded to him and grabbed Caspian's sword tight once more. I moved toward Jacob, whom everyone seemed to be glaring at, and looked right into his green eyes. Looking into his eyes, I saw the same boy whom I used to sit on our mother's bed with play stories with. I remembered the same boy who used to help me with archery. Then, I remembered the man he had turned into and realized the boy who I loved was gone forever. Involuntarily, tears started coming to my eyes as I clutched the sword tight.

"There's one more person you need to apologize to," I said to him, fighting the tears.

Jacob looked at me, a blank look on his face as I summoned Stephen to come closer. Slowly, he walked toward me and looked at me with concern in his eyes. He reluctantly looked over at the man who had taken nearly everything from him. He swallowed hard before looking back to me and asking," What is it you want?"

"I want you to apologize to him. You may have wronged me, but I would go so far as to say that you wronged him just as much, if not more," I said severely to Jacob, looking at him closely.

Jacob made eye contact with Stephen briefly before looking back to me," I've nothing to say to him."

"Then you shall die in vain," I said simply, feeling my face heat up once more.

I wanted so badly to finish him, but the memories of us as children were too much. They kept on hanging in the back of my head whenever I looked into his eyes. He resembled father so much both in appearance and in actions. I didn't want to kill the Jacob that had been my brother and friend, but the Jacob that sat in front of me with a nasty scowl on his face was not someone that I ever wanted to see again. By killing him, I was keeping true to the promise that I had made to our nation. It was my duty that, should the opportunity arise, then I was to sacrifice myself for the good of the people.

I breathed in deeply and brought the sword up over my head. I remembered Cornelius's home going up in flames. I remembered seeing Emily's battered body. I remembered seeing Caspian in the hands of those awful women. I remembered the screams from those being captured by the Cruels.

This man was not my brother.

I was not responsible for him.

Without hesitation, I brought the blade down over my head and plunged the blade deep into his midsection. He twitched slightly as all color drained from his face. I pushed the blade deeper into his body as blood spilled over his lip before whispering," For Narnia."

**Author's Note: So, there you have it!**

**Something I struggled with was deciding who should be the one to kill Jacob. I struggled a lot about if it should have been Rosalie or Stephen because they were both directly impacted by Jacob's actions. I ended up choosing Rosalie because I feel like she was much more emotionally impacted by the thought of having her brother do so much harm toward her. It felt more climatic for her to be the one to do it, as well, haha. Anyways, tell me what you think. I actually originally wrote it with Stephen killing Jacob. Do you agree or disagree with the final decision? I'd love to know! I would make a poll, but I'm that lazy so telling me in a review is fine :)  
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**Thanks for reviewing! I love you guys! There's going to be one more chapter and an epilogue ****:)**


	41. At Last

**Disclaimer: I own very little.**

Chapter Forty-One: At Last

I turned away from Jacob and walked slowly toward Caspian, who was talking to the group of confused men that had just come into the room behind my sister. My footsteps seemed to echo as I cleared my mind of everything that had just happened.

"Men, you are welcome to go home to your families! We will have an address in the morning of this evening's events!" Caspian yelled over the group of men after a man had just walked away from him, appearing as though coming out of a rather intense conversation. I had a feeling that tomorrow would be rather interesting.

It took several moments, but before we knew it; the throne room was emptied of everyone except for myself, Caspian, Stephen, Penelope, Trina, and Apollo.

Just as I was about to say something to Caspian, someone had already thrown themselves on me. After a moment of realization, I embraced my sister tightly, happy to have her back to her normal self. It seemed as though she would have stayed there forever with her arms wrapped around me tightly, happy to be back to her normal self.

"Penelope, I-" I started, backing away from her to look straight at me.

She looked at me with tear-stained eyes," I'm so sorry! I should have never been talking with him and should have ignored him from the beginning! Oh, look at what I've done!"

"Penelope, please-"

"If I had ignored him like Caspian told me to, then this would have never happened! I'm so-"

I felt as though it was my turn to be the one to interrupt her. Slowly, I pried her off of me and placed both hands onto her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes," Don't apologize anymore, Penelope. It's all over now and none of that matters; do you understand?"

Wiping a tear away, she smiled meekly and nodded her head," Thank you, Rosalie."

I hugged her tight once more before saying," You're very welcome, Penelope."

Words couldn't even describe the feeling of having my sister back to normal. She was my last immediate family that I had left and I didn't plan on losing her anytime soon. For the moment, I was so ecstatic that I could hardly think much of anything else. Everything that had happened was just a blur of the past.

Cheer continued to spin throughout the room for whenever Penelope had run off to embrace Caspian, I saw Apollo and Trina embrace for the first time in many months. How sweet it was to see such a strong couple reunited once more. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of them.

"I should be going," Stephen said, breaking the moment of ecstasy, walking up beside me. "Emily will probably want to know what happened…I'll be back before morning with her. Assuming that we have your permission to return to the castle…your majesty?"

I looked at him and smirked," Of course, Stephen. And you need not refer to me with such a title. I'm of no more worth than any of you."

He smiled in return as he twirled his home made knife in his hand before stuffing it into his pocket," Well, thanks nevertheless, Rosalie."

"You're welcome, Stephen," I answered, still smiling. "I look forward to seeing the both of you tomorrow."

Color came to his face as he started to sidestep toward the door and exit without another word.

Moments later, I turned over to Penelope and Caspian. Penelope felt that it was necessary to apologize to Caspian as well, since she had somewhat deceived him with Jacob and all at the beginning. Of course, he forgave her, but made her promise him that she would listen to him on things such as that from here on out; therefore, there would be no room for mistakes such as this to occur.

"It's good to have you back, Penelope," Caspian said just as I was walking up to join the conversation.

"It's good to be back," she replied, shooting a glance over to Jacob's body laying near the throne. "I can't believe he's gone. I can't believe he turned so bad, but I can't believe the brother we knew so well is dead."

"He's been gone ever since father came out and said that he was plotting against Caspian," I said to Penelope, feeling her pain. "There's nothing we could have done."

"Oh I know," she said dejectedly with a sigh. " But he was so good! So smart. I don't see how he couldn't realize how wrong he was. All of those people, everything that happened because of him…it was so sickening. How could he not see that?"

Silence hung in the air before Caspian spoke.

"I think that there was a side of Jacob that all of us never really saw," Caspian added, glancing over to Jacob. "He always wanted his father's attention. The both of you always got that, but wasn't it always a struggle for him to get that. Even if that meant following what was bad, he wanted dad's approval."

I hadn't ever thought much about that, but it was true. Father had always shown so much love and admiration toward me and Penelope. I remembered how Jacob was always the one that father seemed to overlook. Never before had I felt much remorse over that, mostly because I had never noticed it, but now that it was mentioned…I couldn't help but feel awful.

Caspian, as if reading my thoughts, continued," However, there is a strict line between wanting to be like your father and wanting to become your father. I think that your brother would have fallen into the second category. Normally, something such as that would not be entirely detrimental, but-"

"Considering our father was pure evil," Penelope added, more bluntly than I would have said, but still true.

Caspian smirked at Penelope's boldness before saying," Yes. Jacob chose his own path. We couldn't do anything to change his mind."

As soon as Caspian said this, we all seemed to be quiet. Slowly, I turned my head to look at the limp body on the ground one more time and swore that would be the last. Seconds after, Apollo and Trina were standing in front of us, smiling.

"What next, _your majesty?_" Apollo questioned, a smile perched on his lips.

Caspian released a sigh as he thought about how he was going to answer. It was odd to think that we really were going to have the opportunity to be the rulers that Narnia expected us to be. This whole time, we had been so worried about the next attack to be planning and how we were to overcome this or that, but the mere fact that we wouldn't have to worry about that…was a relief.

"Finding where Jacob put the servants of the castle. I'm sure they would like to hear that, um, they are to feel at home here. Plus, we are going to need all the help we can get cleaning these bodies out of here," Caspian said finally after a couple minutes.

"Let's be on our way then," Trina said, she also seemed to be confused by the lack of commotion happening. "Caspian, if you don't mind, Apollo and I were going to search both dungeons for our children. We haven't any idea where Jacob has placed them, but-"

"Feel free. If we see anything, anywhere, then we shall inform you immediately," Caspian said, understanding the worry that the both of them were probably experiencing.

"Thank you, Caspian," Apollo said gratefully.

The both of them immediately turned from the group and started to exit. Before they could leave, I had already chased Trina down and tapped her reverently on the shoulder.

"Don't think you're going anywhere yet!" I exclaimed, embracing her tightly.

She chuckled at the gesture and as I broke away from her, she said," I missed you too, Rosalie. It'll be nice for us to piece our lives back together after all this has passed."

"Yes, it will," I said with a smile and then backed away as she walked alongside her husband to go down to the dungeons in search of their children.

Caspian came up beside me as we came to the door leading out of the throne room. I was still in complete amazement that nothing was array. The only thing left to do from here was…to rebuild, which was going to be much more difficult than it sounded.

"And what is it you're thinking about now?" Caspian asked me, putting a playful smirk on his lips as we turned the corner to walk down the corridor.

We walked several paces before I actually answered. Walking down the corridor wasn't exactly normal, due to the fact that there were dead bodies that lay carelessly about and blood that seemed to be splattered along the walls. I tried to ignore the gruesome details as I turned my gaze to Caspian," I'm actually just wondering how we go back to normal."

"Isn't that something that kind of happens on its own?" Caspian teased as we stepped over one of the bodies.

I rolled my eyes and said," Obviously, but still. Think about going back to normal life after all of this has happened. It will be…odd, but yet so wonderful to not have to go on any of these journeys anymore."

All jokes aside, he released a sigh as we came to the main stairwell," I don't know if I even know how to operate without having a little adventure or fear. Plus, didn't you say that you were looking for an adventure, before all this started?"

I sighed in defeat, for I knew he was right," I did say that and, to be honest, it has been nice, but I think I'm ready to settle down a little bit."

He stopped walking and looked at me," Are you, really?"

I furrowed my brow and scrutinized his face," Really. I know that we're both still very young, but I've seen enough adventure for the next few years. In fact, if I don't have another one; I might would be happy with that."

"I would have thought you would be hungry for more," Caspian said, several seconds later with a shake of his head.

"That vision, Caspian-" I tried, but he merely shook his head. He knew of what I was referring to with the dream and such.

"Is still a long ways away," he told me, very seriously.

"Oh, I know, but being able to settle down and have a family…that idea appeals to me. Jacob tried to destroy that, Caspian and I don't-" I tried, but Caspian's mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"Could we finish this conversation later?" He asked, as if he had somewhere else he needed to be.

"Of course," I said with a smirk on my face, finding it funny at how jumpy Caspian seemed to become at the idea of starting a family. Perhaps, it was mental thought that we were so young, but ever since I had seen the image of that little girl, I wanted to meet her. I wouldn't pressure Caspian continually, but I would make sure to keep the idea in his head.

We walked in silence for quite a while as we traveled down the stairs. Just whenever we reached the bottom, a little girl came running down the hall and ran right into Caspian's leg. Concerned, he got down on one leg to see if the little girl was okay. Looking at the little girl, she had tearstained eyes and hair that seemed to be strewn. Her clothes were in rags and I would have doubted that she had a good meal in quite a long time.

"What seems to be the problem, my lady?" Caspian asked, placing a hand on the little girl's arm as she looked at him with wide eyes.

She sniffled, wiping her brown hair out of her face before answering," Do you know where my mommy is?"

The little girl couldn't have been over six years old. It broke my heart to see her so broken up, just as seeing any child nearly in tears would do. This was not the environment that any child should have been in. It wasn't until I looked at the child for a second, thorough time that I realized that this was an older, frailer Isabella.

I got down on my knee beside Caspian and asked the girl," Is you mommy's name Trina, sweetheart?"

Pouting her lip, she nodded and said," Yes. Do you know her?"

Caspian chuckled slightly before saying," We can take you to her now, if you'd like."

She nodded her head pitifully and then offered his hand to her," May I have your hand, my lady?"

A smile came to the little girl's face as she placed her tiny hand into Caspian's. I could hardly say anything, but merely watch the two of them as they walked back up the stairs. I couldn't help but beam at the sight of that. Even to little girls, Caspian seemed to be a charmer. Moments later, another small voice could be heard echoing through the halls.

"Wait for me! Isabella!" a little boy's voice yelled from the opposite end of the corridor.

"Caspian!" I said seriously as I walked down to the bottom floor, only to be ran into by a little boy, running at full speed. He had hair like his sister's, only a little lighter. He looked just like I remembered him, only much skinnier. I didn't want to know what either of these children had experienced over the last couple of months.

Instinctively, I placed my hand under her arms and pulled him up to my hip," Are you Mr. Emory?"

He, like his sister had done, pouted his lip and said," Yes."

"There's your sister right up there," I pointed to her, which caused him to relax some. "We're going to take you to your mommy and daddy, alright?"

He furrowed his brows and stared right at me; he looked so much like Apollo," Alright."

He hadn't much else to say, but that was fine by me. I was more excited that we would be able to reunite the family once and for all. Another site that made me smile, was the sight of Caspian holding hands with little Isabella and talking to her with such interest. He was so good with children yet he the thought of having children scared him.

I tried striking up some conversation with Emory, but he seemed to have little interest in anything other than being back with his mommy and daddy again. Caspian and I walked around the top level first, to see if we could find them before they went for the dungeons. Seeing as though we had been too late, we made our way back down to find them just where they said they would be.

"Mommy!" The little Isabella screamed, and nearly tossed Caspian's hand aside as soon as we set foot in the dungeons, as if it were useless and went running as fast as she could toward the tall, slender woman.

Trina, who was looking deep inside one of the cells, shot her head up immediately. Just as she did, Emory basically threw himself from my arms and went running after his sister. I walked up beside Caspian and watched as the Trina got down on her knees, nearly in tears as her children climbed atop of her.

"Apollo!" She cried out, tears spilling from her eyes as both her children began yelling joyously.

I looked at Caspian and smiled, but not wanting to disturb them any longer, the both of us turned and exited the dungeons to leave the family to their reunion.

* * *

Standing before us that next day had been a mob of confused, upset Telmarines. I couldn't say that I would have suspected any less of them, but their questions ranged from reasonable, to downright rude. If I were to rewrite every question written, then I could quite possibly fill an entire novel.

We were standing at the same place at which we had sent the Pevensies home, answering any question that the people could think of. There were still plenty of tasks that needed to get accomplished up at the castle; therefore, whenever midday came about and the people were no where near stopping; Apollo had to step in and set a limit.

"We've time for one more question or comment," Apollo yelled, over the crowd that was nearly going crazy by this point.

My eyes widened as I watched the crowd fight over whose hand got to the air first. The people deserved their answers, but it seemed as though all of this had been a failure. They were hardly even listening to us! After listening to the anger and bitterness that these people possessed, I was nearly convinced it was better for us out in the wilderness.

"Rosalie left us once! How are we suppose to know that we are not going to be abandoned again? How are we to know that any of you are not going to leave again?" A small woman near the back of the crowd was picked to ask, she had a young child on her hip and her dark hair was tied back into a tight bun.

I felt it necessary that I give her a worthy answer. I wasn't going to sugarcoat it or make it sound any better than what she was getting. This was the question that I had been dreading to give them an answer for, but neither could I give her nothing. She had a family that was depending on us to keep her safe. She deserved an answer.

"Ma'am, I want you to know that had I been able to stay here, then I would have. Jacob was using me for his advantage, I thought that perhaps if I played his game, then an opportunity would arise in which I could use that against him. I was wrong. I made a mistake in ever doing anything he told me to do. I can only hope that you can forgive me for that.

"On a different note, I want it noted that I do not wish to leave Telmar for battle or danger or any sort, but obviously should anyone pose a threat to Narnia, then I will have to leave again or do what I must to protect the people. I want you to have the faith in not only myself, but also the rest of us that we would never abandon you for the worst. If we leave, then we _will_ be back. If we are not back, then you can assume us dead. Any one of us would be willing to die for the safety of you and your people. I know that this is going to be a long road, but I pray that one day you will have a restored confidence in us. For now, please, give us a chance to rebuild your trust."

I hadn't a clue how they would respond. In fact, I thought they were mad by the first moment of silence for the entire duration of our trip, but I saw the woman smile. She nodded her head to me," Thank you for an honest answer."

"Thank you for your question," I said, glancing at her nervously before looking back to Caspian.

It was rather awkward. After I had spoken, the crowd had turned rather silent. There was nothing more that needed to be said and after several seconds, Apollo gave one last nod to the crowd before leading us off. I still didn't know if they were pleased, displeased, confused, angry, or content. I swallowed hard and with one last nod to the crowd left the platform.

Just as I reached the ground again, a single person started clapping. Caspian shot a look back, just after I did. The effect grew and before I realized it, the entire crowd was applauding us as we were escorted back to the castle.

Was it possible that in the matter of just one single answer…I had been able to convince them of their ways? I looked up to the sky and felt a peace in my stomach. A peace that no other source could have provided for me. The lion that had always been and would continue to always be there for us was still there.

"I think that going back to normal is going to be easier than you think," Caspian whispered to me as he slid his hand into mine.

The sound of the applause echoed through my head for the rest of the day.

We had been able to start the project to clean up the castle and Telmar once and for all. Caspian returned to his study to find it an absolute mess from Jacob. Caspian, resuming his role as king, began writing to all the surrounding nations whom we had lost contact with before. He wrote asking for any assistance in supplies they could send us.

In addition to this, Telmarines teamed up to go into the forest to get a amounts of wood to begin repairs on the homes in the city. Caspian and I decided that the damage on the castle was too extensive to begin at the moment, but we could at least start by helping the servants, who were locked up in the dungeons, to clean up the bodies lingering around the courtyard and grounds. It may not have been the most cleanly job, but it needed to be done.

We still hadn't much idea what we were going to do with the bodies, but we first decided it would have been best to isolate them outside of the castle near the forest. We searched the entire castle over the length of a day. Every once and a while, I would take a break to see that the entire city seemed to be out and about again, trying to get used to the new freedoms. It was a nice picture if I looked passed all of the damage and blood splattered about the town. Even though we had been applauded the day before, I still saw many wary glances shot our way as Caspian, Emily, Penelope, or I walked down the streets like a normal civilian.

There was no social ranking divisions between us. There was nothing other than a common people trying to work together and help our city back onto its feet.

Later in the day, Emily and Stephen rode back into the town with a surprised aura about them.

Immediately, I embraced Emily as tenderly as I could after Stephen lifted her from the horse to the ground. I really should have been up in the hospital wing being tended to, but I kept my pain hidden as best as I could, especially when hugging Emily, who already was looking loads better under the tender care of the lady centaur.

"I wish I could have seen it happen," Emily said with a small smile as Caspian came walking over to embrace both Stephen and Emily.

A smile came to my lips," All that matters is that it's over now. We can…restart from here. You played a tremendous role in all of this."

The servant girl returned the gesture before turning to Caspian and embracing him. They carried on a brief conversation before Emily assisted me in walking about the castle grounds to oversea the projects being done. Stephen and Caspian were still in conversation, but just as we were returning from our walk, I heard them speaking of something that sounded rather serious.

"…they claimed to have somewhere else they needed to be, but they would be back soon to speak with you," Stephen said, just as I stepped beside him. "They were glad to have played a part in this. I know had it not been for their watch over Emily, she may not have made it."

"Yes, it will be good to have them back," Caspian answered, finishing their conversation.

Stephen looked at me with a smile before turning over to help tidying up the grounds once more. I realized that at that moment I wouldn't be able to learn anything more of what they were talking about. With that in the back of my head, I focused on the cleaning of the Narnia.

The start of the new Narnia.

* * *

That evening, after we had finished what work we could for the day, I stood on the edge of our balcony. A light breeze blew and I pulled my thin night robe closer. Gazing out over the nation, I saw many people still out and about, trying to figure out just what to do. Some celebrations were taking place, but some families chose to stay locked inside for the evening. I couldn't blame them. Everyone seemed to have mixed feelings over this sudden change of lifestyles.

I couldn't help but remember the Narnia that I saw as a child growing up. There never seemed to be a problem when I was little. I then remembered how drastically I was forced to erase that memory from my head and engage on a quest to find a new Narnia; the Narnia rebuilding itself in front of me. How odd it was to replay all of this inside of my head.

A sigh released my lips as I leaned against the railing. I did not think that my mother would have ever believed this story had she come back. I didn't think she would have believed much of what happened after her death; however, she would have been pleased to know that I married Caspian. She would have been pleased to know that I was queen, but she would have not been pleased at how young all of this happened.

My mother wanted me to be more than just a housewife at a young age. She, too, had married father young and had children at an early age. I remember her always telling me that no matter who I married, Caspian or someone else, then to wait until I was old enough. I did not think that she would have thought nineteen, was enough maturity to be settling down with a husband and being forced into royalty.

I then remembered all of the events that had happened to Caspian and I over the past months and year then remembered that we had been a special case. There had been much maturity that had been thrust upon the both of us. Had we acted like others our age, then Narnia would be in rubble. We had the protecting eye of Aslan, always watching over us. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Aslan wanted to make a statement through all of the events that had occurred through not only Caspian and I, but the other young friends we had with us.

For too long, young people had been overlooked in Narnia, especially young women. Perhaps, whenever the city was stable once more, then the young men and women of Narnia would step up and take positions of leadership. Perhaps, their voice would finally have the opportunity to be heard rather than muffled. The thought brought a smile to my face as I leaned against the balcony.

"You must be thinking about something again," a voice from behind me said and instantly I knew it was Caspian.

I released a sigh before turning to look at him," You always seem to pop up right when I'm having those moments."

With a boyish smirk on his face, he came forward and joined me at the balcony," Or, you just have these moments too much."

I rolled my eyes, still smiling as I shifted my gaze back to Telmar," It can't really hurt."

"No, but considering that has been all you've been through over the last few months, I'd say the less over-thinking you do…the better," He said as-matter-of-factly before I turned to look at him once again.

I noticed that he was clad in a light night tunic. Through the material, and with the help of the moonlight, I noticed the large bandage, still covering his shoulder. He would probably strangle me if I asked any further about it to see just how he was feeling, so I hesitantly turned my head.

He, in turn, smiled," We might actually get to experience normal for a little while."

He then turned his gaze to Telmar, where I was still looking over the active city, eager to rebuild. A silence hung between the two of us, but it was not the awkward type of silence that always feels uneasy, but it was more of a peaceful silence. A silence that could not have been recreated anywhere else.

Suddenly, I felt his hand atop of mine as he spoke," Can you believe it's all over?"

I looked down at his hand, delicately placed above my own," Hardly. My ridiculous family seems to be all we and the people can think about over the last couple years. It seemed as though we were just getting used to freedom without the Pevensies and here we are, almost two years later, finally getting started on that. Where do we go from here?"

I felt his thumb gently rubbing against my skin," I think that we just need to stay focused on the current task which is cleaning up the city. After that, we can worry about seriously running the country. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

There was another silence.

"I killed him, Caspian," I whispered hoarsely, feeling a rush of childhood memories flush over me once again. I had sworn that I would try to forget, but at that moment, standing in the castle…I couldn't help but think of my brother once more. "He's dead because of me."

Caspian looked at me, slightly taken aback by my sudden change of subject, but he instantly seemed to understand the problem," Rosalie, you know that there's nothing you can do about that. He brought it upon himself-"

"I understand that part, Caspian. I understand that I did my duty to Narnia, but what I will never be able to live with is abandoning both he and Emily," I looked straight into his dark eyes. "I left them without any knowledge of what would happen. I got lucky to have such a dedicated sister, but I thought about what would have happened had Jacob been the one to abandon me. I don't know what I would have done, Caspian. He didn't have to be a threat to the nation."

Involuntarily, I felt heat rush to my face and my eyes began to water as I spoke. I was stronger than this, I was, but it was just…so hard.

Caspian, seeing that I was torn up over this, immediately moved closer to me and placed a hand on the side of my cheek. He turned my head to face him and by that time, tears were streaming down my face. I was embarrassed more than anything, but the touch of his hand on my skin was comforting.

"Rosalie, there's nothing you can do about that now. You can either let the thought of what could have been torture you for the rest of your life or you can move on. Granted, this is easier said than done, but I want you to know that it doesn't have to be a short process. Physical wounds take a long time to heal, but emotional wounds…they take twice as long and could leave twice the amount of scars. I know that this thought is conflicting you right now, but please try not to regret it. It happened for a reason, no matter how painful," he told me, very quietly as he stroked my face with his thumb, as he quietly whispered the last part, "More importantly, you don't have to go through recovery alone."

I stared at him for a long moment, watching as he wiped away the tears. I felt embarrassed for my actions, but I tried to listen to his words. He was right. I didn't have to pretend like this didn't pain me, but I couldn't hang onto it forever either. The process could be long, but at least I would be on the track to healing. For that moment, I just had to cope with the fact that it had happened.

The rest…would fall into place on its own.

"You'll be here with me, right?" I asked, still very quietly speaking. "As long as it takes?"

He tucked a stray hair behind my ear," Always."

I forced a smile onto my face, but the tears were still draining from my eyes. He returned my smile and moved his hand away briefly as he leaned in and pressed his lips softly to my own.

Neither of us could have ever hoped to be perfect. In fact, if given the opportunity then we would have had plenty of things that we would have gone back and changed in our story. I knew that killing my brother would be something that I would struggle with for the rest of my being. It would be a constant battle, but with Caspian by my side and a new horizon ahead, then anything was possible.

**Author's Note: Alright, so I'm a bad person, I know. I've kept this chapter from you for a long time, but I've been carefully planning out how I want this story to end. There's going to be another chapter after this before the epilogue. Sorry guys, life has gotten hectic! Hang on with me! Next chapter will be up soon. :D**


	42. Seven Lost Lords

**Disclaimer: As you know, I don't own anything from Narnia other than a couple characters.**

Chapter Forty-Two: Seven Lost Lords

Winter was soon upon us and we put all of our projects on hold. We had been able to get quite a lot of work done throughout the fall, but after the first snow, I remember scrambling in order to prepare the projects for pause and the harsh weather ahead. Winter was the time for us to take a break from the physical labor and begin working on the emotional labor and paperwork that lay on the inside of the castle.

Trina ate up all of the attention that suddenly came upon the interior of the castle. She had been absolutely appalled at the sight of all the nastiness that the castle had endured. The sight of blood on the walls was something she immediately requested be worked on due to the simple fact that it gave the castle a very barbaric look. Obviously, I had to agree with that statement. Whenever leaders from around the country came to meetings at the castle, one of the least welcoming signs would be to see blood scattered about the walls.

Caspian allowed for her to use all of the servants she needed during the day in order to put the castle back together. He had little knowledge in that area and found that it would be best to simply put her in charge. He ordered for the remainder of the staff to try to re-organize their previous stations and begin performing their duties as soon as the resources became available for them to do so. He wanted them to report any problems they had to either himself or Trina, who would help them as soon as possible.

As time proceeded right along, I found myself working alongside my sister and Emily quite frequently. Toward the end of the year, the three of us found it fitting that some sort of celebration be thrown for Christmas. Two weeks before the day had come upon us, the castle was in no way shape or form ready to host any party. We made do with what we had; however, and invited the entire population to an "open house" type celebration where we could all be together for the special time of year.

Supplying food would not be a problem, for not only did we find that the kitchen had been kept in very well stock (Jacob apparently liked to keep himself well-fed), but the other regions around us had been gracious in their gift-giving and supplied us with nearly every sort of food that we could imagine. We even had local musicians around the city that offered to provide the music. It may not have been the most extravagant production, but Trina made sure that it was well-organized and enjoyable for anyone attending.

The local regions had not only been generous in their donations, but they were also very understanding whenever Caspian invited them once more to the castle in order to explain everything that had happened. He wrote to them shortly after the Christmas celebrations were over and the first month of the next year was whenever the castle received the visitors who would be the first since we had been back.

I remember being tended to before the formal meeting. Before, I had been very reluctant whenever the servant girls came in with their frills and dresses to "pretty me up" for these types of meetings, but after all that had happened, I was beginning to appreciate all of the little details more by the day. Emily, who had originally been a servant to me, came along with them, as well, though I hardly considered her a servant anymore.

The dress they had picked out for me was a lovely lilac color and they claimed to want to try some new hairstyle. I didn't worry about anything they wanted to do for life was much more than just hairstyles and dresses, why not let them enjoy what they like to do? The moment that made me think the most was whenever they had finished and Emily held in her hands the delicate, gold crown. I stood in the mirror, the light dress already in place as well as my hair which had been intricately braided and tied to the side, coming down nearly to my stomach. She placed the crown atop of my head and that moment, like every time it was placed on my head; I smiled. Memories flooded back to my head every time I saw the crown and wearing it reminded me of how hard Caspian, Penelope, Emily, Stephen, and I worked to get to that point.

The meeting went very well as we greeted the other leaders and their families. They had nothing but good wishes to bring to us. Again, they offered much assistance as soon as spring came back and apologized for their lack of assistance when Jacob took over. Apparently, the giants had kept a very extensive guard over the borders. Many other meetings came after this one, but it was a good start for both Caspian and I to get back into the swing of taking the country back into our own hands.

All of that aside, winter was a good time for all of us to be reborn into our "family". All of us at the castle may not have been related by blood, but memories and experience bonded us all together. Stephen and Emily had made the castle their home alongside us and were seen nearly every moment of every day together. Talk spread around the castle as to when they would be wed. From my own talks with Emily, it sounded as though they were in no rush to go off and get married until they were older. I couldn't blame her, in fact, I envied her.

There was no other person in the world with whom I would have married, but it was wise for her to wait. I wish that I could have at least been in my late twenties before being advised to marry Caspian. My life was on the verge of being normal again, but many responsibilities came with being a queen and a wife. I would accompany Caspian to many of his meetings with the newly formed council we had and whenever the people had a problem to present to us, then both of us were present. Naturally, there were some events that I would not attend due to other commitments.

I found that Caspian and I were growing back to normal for quite some time, that was until the third month of that year. Things started changing.

Caspian spent nearly two weeks locked up in his study as we moved into the third month of the year. Every time I would knock at his door to speak with him, he would let me in, but seemed much too distracted to even tell me what he was up to. Never had I seen so many books piled upon his desk before. I scolded him many times for working so hard on whatever he was working on and encouraged him to lighten his load. He seemed to pay little attention to my words, which led us to become very irritated with one another.

That was the time when I was able to experience what life as "queen" was all about. Caspian would leave his study only to go with me down to the throne room and listen to the people's requests of the day. He would attend his meeting afterward and then lock himself back up in his study, but I noticed a problem starting when he would be rather late for these meetings and I would be left to cover for him.

Granted, in the evenings, he would come out, but he would answer none of my questions as to what he was doing in there. We would merely try and talk about something else, to my demise. Whenever we did speak, we were able to discuss some of the decisions we needed to make in regards to the people.

"Have you spoken with him over this?" Penelope asked me one evening as she, Emily, and I walked about the castle, candles burning along the walls to lighten our path.

I released a sigh," I tried several times now, Penelope. He doesn't seem to have any interest in telling me. Never have I seen him so distracted."

"I could try to have Stephen speak with him over it," Emily mentioned as we turned the corner.

I shook my head," He would not appreciate that on my part. I've already asked him about it on several different occasions and if Stephen asked, then it would just make matters worse."

Stephen was a member of the new council that Caspian assembled; therefore, he would have had more access to my husband, but I knew that it would have to be something that I confronted him on. The ladies and I finished up our nightly routine of talking together and then proceeded on to go back to my own quarters.

I didn't want to attack Caspian over this matter, for I thought that, at first, perhaps it was just a stage, but whenever the end of that month was about us another incident occurred that lead me to want to confront him.

We had been en route to the meeting with the council that morning, whenever I found myself waiting several minutes outside of our room for Caspian to join us. For the entirety of the morning, he had locked himself up in that study of his and I was ready to knock the doors in, but I waited for as long as possible before it was time to intervene.

"Caspian!" I knocked at the door, in two minutes the meeting was to begin.

There was no response.

He always responded.

Even if he was distracted.

"Caspian?" I asked, much less aggressive this time. What if the worst had happened? Had something happened to him.

I asked several more times with no answer and just as I was ready to find a way to break the lock on the door, it slowly came open. A tired, baggy-eyed Caspian emerged, looking at me with a nasty glare.

"Why didn't you answer me?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I was studying," He answered dully, walking to the door.

I forced myself to stay calm, but asked with a firm tone," What are you studying? It's such a-"

"We'll talk about it later," He mumbled back to me and without another word, walked out of the suite.

I swallowed hard, trying to fight back all of the emotions swarming my head. I wanted to chase him down and scream at him for being so difficult, but I knew that later that night, I would get answers whether he liked it or not. He wasn't the same person anymore and I needed to know why.

* * *

Whenever I entered into our bedchambers, after a long day, I noticed Caspian already sitting up, reading in bed. It was odd to see him in the room before I; I was normally the one waiting up for him. Even though he had been busy, he made time at the end of the day for us to talk of the day's events. After that day, it surprised me that he had even wanted to talk.

He looked up from his reading, briefly, smiled shortly before turning back to his reading. One thing that was different was that he had brought his book with him to bed. The thought of this baffled me slightly, but I said nothing and made my way to my side of the bed with my questions aside. I was already burning with anger toward him.

"Good evening," I said curtly as I placed myself upon the bed, sliding one leg under the covers, then the other.

There were several awkward moments of silence as Caspian looked down at his reading, still deeply concentrated on it. I would have expected that he would have at least been cordial and say something back, but the air remained tense.

I turned my head away from him and sighed, trying to think of just what to say before looking back, trying to get a glimpse at what he was so focused on.

Before asking anything major, I thought to ask another question," You've had a busy day, I suppose?"

All of this was just a build up as to how I was _really_ feeling.

For a moment, I saw some emotion on his face, but it must have been something in that book he was reading. The first time, I was going to allow it, but this time; I would not. For too long, he was ignoring me and not telling me what was going on. Something was not right. I could hardly contain my emotions for much longer before an outburst.

"That's how you're going to treat me?" I asked haughtily. "Caspian, please!"

The air seemed to be cut through rather sharply as he shot his head up and looked at me, confused," What?"

"That! I walk in and you-you look at me like I am some ghost!" I exclaimed, a little louder than I would have liked. "Not only that, but you've been acting bizarre lately. Everything you do revolves around some sort of research that you're so unwilling to tell me about!"

He released a sigh and shut his book before looking directly at me," You want to talk?"

"Not if you don't _want_ to, Caspian!" I said, crossing my arms over my chest, tired of his games. "This is how it seems to be for the last few weeks. All you do is stay locked up in that office all day, this is our only time together and now you're choosing your work over-"

"Rosalie, you know that's not-" He tried to interrupt, still very calm.

I, on the other hand, was not _very_ calm," You can't deny this! It's been clear! Everyone who's close to you can see it, Caspian. You're obviously distracted by something. I don't understand why you're keeping me out."

The tone of his voice was starting to become angered," Rosalie, what I've been doing over the last few months is nothing that you would have any interest in!"

"It wouldn't be the first thing you've kept me in the dark about, now would it be?" I shot, cutting my eyes over at him, nearly feeling disgusted at even looking at him. "How are we ever suppose to get along if you don't tell me the things that trouble you?"

He didn't say anything. I scrutinized him closely as he released a sigh and began rubbing his temple in frustration. Perhaps, I would finally get an answer from him.

"We have to talk, Caspian," I said, my voice nearly cracking, not being able to stand the lack of communication between the both of us.

I shifted my gaze over to him and locked eyes for one long moment. I didn't need to say anything else, for it seemed as though he knew exactly what I meant. In silence, he turned his eyes away from me and ran his fingers through his hair as he gazed off, planning his next words.

"Rosalie," he said my name, but nothing else.

"Yes?" I said, trying to calm myself down.

"Do you remember when you told me that you wanted to slow down?" He asked, obviously much more relaxed.

I looked at him again and nodded. His eyes told me that he was quite serious when he said this. He genuinely appeared as though he was thinking hard on how he was to explain this to me and stay calm about it, as well.

"Apparently, whenever my father died and Miraz assumed his position as king, he banished the lords who were friends with my father. I don't know if you remember them, but I don't much at all. The point of this being that he persuaded the seven noble lords to sail away to the ends of the world. They hadn't any knowledge of the fact that they were essentially being banished. He did it in such a way to assure they never returned to Narnia and caused him no problems," Caspian explained, running his fingers over the binding of the book that lay in his lap.

I watched him closely as he continued on. I was still failing to see why the missing lords were of any importance to him and why they would consume so much of his being.

"Over the last months, I have been looking through every single book, diary, or scribbling that I can get my hands on to try and locate these men. They could offer so much wisdom and knowledge to us about how to run the country. They knew my father. They were close friends with my father. They could provide some invaluable information about him. Do you realize how much wisdom they could provide us with?"

By this point, I had a feeling that I knew where he was going with this. Still, I allowed for him to continue, silently hoping that what I thought he was hinting at was merely just my imagination.

"I can't 'slow down' until I know what happened to them, Rosalie. I have to find them. They were victims of Miraz who deserve to at least have some sort of respectable memorial if they are dead. Narnia's history; they're vital to that. Knowing that they were led so far astray, it bothers me. I want to know where they are.

"Plus, I want to know my father. I want to know the father that everyone speaks so highly of and they…they could give me a glimpse of that man. Something in my gut tells me that they're out there and that it's my job to find them."

A mixture of anger and relief flooded through my body. Relief because he was finally telling me what was consuming his attention, and anger because of what was consuming his attention. We had just gotten used to being home. We had just gotten used to having a semi-normal life again. The people were gaining our trust again and that ever-desirable new horizon of Narnia was finally upon us. Potentially, we could have had a nice, safe life as King and Queen that would not require any more adventuring for quite some time.

But there he was with a diary of his father in his lap and an idea that told him to go trotting about the nation to find some lost men that knew his father. I couldn't be entirely cold-hearted as to why he would be interested in finding these men or something of relation to them since they lived in the time of his father and would have many wise things to tell us, but they could all very well be dead. In fact, that was a very likely possibility.

"Are you up for another adventure?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood, as I continued to ponder the thought.

I paused for a moment before shaking my head violently," Are you really asking me that? After we've just started to go back to normal? Absolutely not. I don't want to go on some random adventure that isn't vital to the success of Narnia."

He looked away, staring at the ceiling before saying," And this is where it gets complicated…"

"Why is it so important?" I demanded, crossing my arms tighter over my chest.

"The new council wants me to take an oath to find them for their knowledge could be crucial to fully understanding Narnia, Rosalie. The people are well on their way to being at complete peace once more, look at how far they have come in such little time! Look at how independent they are!" Caspian told me, his heart seemed to be bleeding for me to concur, but I couldn't.

"Complete peace? They're like a newborn nation, Caspian! They've no knowledge of what independence is! Are you and the council out of your mind?" I challenged, heatedly. "Don't you want to be King? Don't you want to be here with us?"

Silence.

I looked at him incredulously as he seemed to be staring into space. Shaking my head in disgust, I threw the covers off my legs," I don't want to hear this."

"Rosalie!-" He tried, but I was already half-way to the balcony.

I heard his footsteps following me hot and heavy. The last thing I wanted was to hear anymore of his plan, but it seemed as though that was what I was going to get.

"Hey, you were the one that asked me about this!" He growled from behind me as I leaned against the edge.

"I thought you would be spending your time doing something a little more productive, Caspian," I answered back, just as heatedly. "Do you honestly think that we can just up and leave these people? We may as well invite someone else to come in and take over. That can't happen again. They need stability. _I_ need stability."

Another moment of silent crept upon us and it was then that all I could hear was the sound of both of us breathing.

He released a sigh," I know that they do. You're right. We can't _both_ leave."

I looked at him for a long, hard moment before realizing that he was set on this idea. This must have been something that he genuinely was dedicated to. I thought back to the day that Caspian and I were married. Our relationship was all about sacrifice for the other. We were one. Even if I thought Caspian's plan was reckless, I would have to support him. I couldn't keep him chained here.

"You really want this?" I whispered, looking at him. "To be off again? To find these men or something relating to them?"

He looked down before meeting my gaze," Anything to learn more about Narnia and my father."

I still stood by my word that Narnia needed stability and from that moment on, both Caspian and I decided that it would be in the best interest of the nation and our relationship for him to follow through on the information that he had found over the last few weeks that would take him out to sea. To his defense, he strongly believed that by going out to sea that he was aiding Narnia and his councilmen seemed to agree with this. In my own personal opinion, this was still not the best option, but perhaps it was best that he leave once more in order to discover who he was once and for all.

"Then I will not stand in your way," I said simply, to his surprise.

He came closer to me with a look of complete shock on his face," Are you-"

"I may not agree, but I must support you in what you do. Go and see what you need to see, but please don't let me know if it has been done in vein," I said softly, trying to ignore the feeling of him being gone again.

He was now right at my side and softly laced his fingers through my own," Just trust me on this. I'll make sure that until the day I leave that I am with you. I'll make these next few days count."

* * *

Those next few weeks were difficult, but not nearly as painful as I anticipated. I tried to bite my tongue several times whenever Caspian would tell me the details of his plan. I would like to say that I finally saw the dyer logic in his plan, but the only peace I could come to was that there was something inside him telling him to do this that no one else would really understand. I had my opinions, but I tried to be as supportive as I could until the day in late spring came that he was to sail off for the uncharted waters.

After Caspian had addressed the people of Telmar as to what he was doing, they responded quite placidly. It was a relief to know that they trusted him so much to not doubt his actions and were supportive to the point that they would travel to the port city along with us, just to see him off. They made me feel slightly guilty for ever doubting him.

In those weeks, we had also decided just who would be leaving alongside Caspian. We had, since the fall of Jacob, been gifted with the presence of nearly every creature from the Old Narnia. Several centaurs, a minotaur or two, Reepicheep's army of mice, and other men agreed to go along with their king on this journey. In addition, Penelope was not one to pass on the opportunity to see more of the world and after many discussions, Stephen agreed to go on this trip along with a couple of Caspian's advisors. Apollo found that it would be in the best interest of his family that he sit out this one. I was slightly relieved at this simply because Apollo would be a huge help to me in Telmar.

I remember standing at the docks quite vividly in that small port town. A ship by the name of _The Dawn Treader_ would be the vessel in which they would sail off in. I assisted as much as I could with moving the needed supplies to the dock where men were transferring the supplies. It seemed to take no time at all for all of the many crates to be stacked in the ship, but that may have been because the minotaur were doing the bulk of the work.

Around noon of that day, it appeared as though everyone was ready to go. The moment was surreal. I remembered back to that tense night when Caspian had first informed me and was surprised at how fast the time had passed. He was coming down off the boat to say his final farewells and I stood at the back of the dock while he made his way through the crowd.

Before he could reach me, another person had nearly knocked me over from behind. I laughed when I realized it was my sister and turned to hug her tightly before she too, was gone," Penelope!"

"Here I go again, Rosalie!" She smiled, pulling away and putting both hands on my shoulders.

I smiled with her, happy that she was excited," Here you go," I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief, but still keeping a smile on my face.

"I wish you were coming too," she said, much more serious this time.

I nodded, understanding her point, before reminding her," You know why I can't. I've got a responsibility to my country. Caspian's serving his country from afar and I'm serving my country from here."

She nodded before sighing," I guess you're right, but that doesn't mean I won't still miss you," She grabbed me tight.

I smiled and patted her on the back before pulling away," Be safe, sister."

She beamed at me as she skipped toward the boat," You know I will!"

For some reason, I wasn't so sure if she was being serious or kidding as she trotted up to the deck. Moments later, I felt another hand on my shoulder from behind me.

"Thank you again for everything," Stephen said with a cordial nod to me; Emily appeared next to him.

"You are very welcome," I answered, returning the nod. "Thank you for going off again to serve Narnia."

He shrugged his shoulders before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a knife," It's nothing really, but I figured that should the worst happen, then you deserve to own the knife I nearly killed you with a year ago."

I smiled as he laid the wooden knife into my palm. I examined it closely, remembering him throwing this at me the first time. The memory may have been scary at the time, but I could now look at it as pleasant for had it not happened then we would have never gotten Stephen.

"Thank you, Stephen," I said, meeting eyes with him one last time before he turned to Emily.

I watched the dark headed girl get up to her tip toes to kiss him one last time. They were so incredibly cute and I couldn't help but feel the same pain they were feeling as they embraced for the last time in awhile. With a quiet, "I love you", he turned to the ship and boarded.

The crowd growing behind us of innocent civilians must have been waiting for the moment when Caspian approached me for when he came to me, everyone seemed to become entirely silent. I looked around and saw that the dock was nearly abandoned and that even Emily had stepped several paces behind us.

"Are you still alright with this?" Caspian asked me, coming even closer to me with his hair loosely tied behind him.

If I was honest with him, then it would have crushed the plan. It would have crushed the selflessness that I had been working toward for the last few months. I repeated the mantra in my head of wanting the best for him. I repeated the fact that I didn't want him to be chained here and that he needed this in order to not only find out about his father, but also learn more of Narnia. I could understand why he wanted to know about his father, but it was hard to release him. I wished there was some other way he could do this.

"I'm fine with this. Whatever you need to do…do it," I said to him, masking my feelings.

A smirk came to his face as he tucked one of my stray hairs behind my ear," You're lying."

I looked down embarrassed before looking back up," For you. If this is what you want to do then don't let me stand in the way. I'm not standing in your way."

"And that's why I respect you, Rosalie," He answered with a soft sigh. "Thank you. I can't explain my feelings, but I truly believe that this will bring me a peace after we can settle this once and for all."

Wanting to lighten the mood, I teased, " And the fact that you're under oath with the council…"

He chuckled," Yes, that too."

We both laughed and for that moment of pure joy, it hit me just how much I was going to miss him.

His face went back to seriousness as Stephen called for him over the ship railing," Your majesty!"

Caspian looked up before looking back at me with a concerned look on his face," Well, it looks like this is it."

I forced a smile," Go find them."

He leaned in and surprised me with a surprisingly passionate kiss, in front of a good portion of the population watching. I placed my hand on the side of his face and for that moment felt as though everything was going to be alright. I expected the feeling of peace to disappear as soon as he broke away, but even as he broke away; I was content.

"Goodbye, Rosalie," He said, very quietly as I dropped my hand from his face. "I love you and will be back as soon as I can."

"Goodbye," I answered, just as softly as he stepped away. "I love you, too."

He looked at me once more as he continued to back toward the ship. He was the last one that needed to board. I watched him as he left me and boarded the ship. I thought that I would once again be filled with worry, but that peace was still sitting in my body, reminding me that this was for the best.

My eyes stayed glued on the boat, even as it left the dock and went out to sea. I stood in a complete state of contentment as the boat sailed off into the sea. I watched for as long as I could before the boat was no more than just a speck and Emily was pulling at my arm to get me to move.

The comfort I felt continued until we reached land once more. I was surprised at how well both Emily and I were reacting to this. We walked and talked as if nothing was wrong. Perhaps, we were both merely covering up, but if that be what we must do to be happy, then let it be. In several months, we would have been reunited with our family again and life could go back to normal, assuming that nothing would have gone wrong whilst the men were at sea.

Strangely enough, I walked through the entire crowd and socialized for quite some time with nearly no thoughts of remorse or sadness, but a different sickness hit me just as we were to enter the carriage back to Telmar. My stomach violently turned. I hadn't been sick at my stomach in quite some time and tried to ignore the turning.

"Rosalie, are you alright?" I remember Emily asking me from inside the carriage, but I could hardly focus on what she was saying for it felt as though my head was spinning.

Feeling as though I was in some sort of fog, I turned from the carriage and disgustingly released the contents of my stomach. The sight of that alone made me want to be sick all over again. Never, had I been sick at my stomach or felt such unpleasant aches. The last time I had felt such a way was whenever I was a child.

"Rosalie! Oh my! Are you alright? What can I do for you?" Emily started firing off questions.

To be entirely honest, I knew something was abnormal, but I did not want to cause any more of a scene.

"It's fine, Emily. I'm sure it was just…breakfast. It hasn't been sitting well all day and on top of the anxiety, my stomach's been a little uneasy," I said, trying to cover up for the fact that I was clearly ill.

She scrutinized me long and hard," Are you sure?"

I nodded my head reverently," Of course! I'm feeling much better now."

Reluctantly, my friend stepped aside and allowed for me to enter into the carriage. I tried my best to cover up the little scene, but I had a feeling that she was not believing me. And to be honest, I could hardly believe myself.

There was something more than missing Caspian that seemed to be wrong.

**Author's Note: Well, it looks as though there's going to be one more chapter before the epilogue. I really struggled with writing this chapter, for some reason. I wanted to get it right. **

**Thanks a lot for your support this far ****:D  
On a side note, what do you think is wrong with Rosalie? Let me know!  
**


	43. An Unexpected Gift

**Disclaimer: I own very little.**

Chapter Forty-Three: An Unexpected Gift

The first week or two after Caspian was gone, I did not experience any more discomfort or episodes similar to that at the port city. In fact, I had led myself to believe that Caspian's departure was what had caused my short sickness and that my life as a single queen would be a semi-painless transition, emotions aside.

That all changed as soon as the third week came about.

Never had I been so irritable or short-tempered in all my life.

I had no doubt that, by the end of that week, every person I came in contact with wanted to strangle me. I wanted to strangle me, as well. Of course, I tried to always be pleasant to the citizens or any visitors that we received, but it seemed as though my mind was spinning with all sorts of emotions. One moment, I was as happy as a lark, but the next I was ready to kill nearly anyone who stepped into my sight.

Emily kept on pestering me as to what was wrong, but I lied to her every time, trying to assure her of my well-being and that nothing was wrong. Deep down, I think I knew that she never had believed my little show and the one morning at breakfast with the other leaders was the final straw for her. I hadn't been sick at my stomach for quite some time, but it was at this breakfast that I became sick once more and had to excuse myself to the powder room.

Just as I reached the powder room, I heard Emily right at my heels. She entered just as I once again released nearly all of breakfast in meetimnto one of the buckets in the corner.

"Rosalie, you told me that you were fine," Emily scolded, pulling my hair out of the way as I continued to fight the sickness.

"I _am_ fine, Emily," I still argued, refusing to admit to anything.

Another surge of sickness told us else wise.

Trina was the next to enter the powder room. I felt her tender hand on my back as my stomach calmed enough to where I felt comfortable standing upright. She tucked a stray hair behind my ear and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You're not fine, Rosalie," Trina said maternally, urging me to sit on the stool in the powder room.

"Trina, I've got a country to run and a meeting to go to. I don't have the time to be sitting up-" She hushed me, even I knew that my case was growing useless. Finally, I decided it was pointless for me to argue against both Emily _and_ Trina.

"Think of it this way," Trina said to me softly, grabbing a stool from the opposite side of the room so that she was face-to-face with me. "The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner you can go back to ruling at your prime."

"And stop giving the rest of us a hard time!" Emily added.

I released a sigh of defeat as Emily leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She seemed to be quite pleased with herself that finally someone was on her side. I knew that this was only for the best and moments later, the castle medic entered into the room with a concerned look on her face and satchel tossed over her shoulder.

"What seems to be the problem?" The elderly woman asked me as Trina donated her stool to the woman, where she laid out her supplies on the vanity.

She went through a list of procedure that seemed to never end. I never enjoyed receiving check ups as a child and that didn't prove to be any more pleasant. She asked many strange and unusually personal questions. I tried to keep in mind that this was merely her job, but her along with Trina and Emily answering questions on my behalf, it felt as though I was counting the minutes until this interrogation was over.

After seemingly eternity, she finally turned away and grabbed a piece of parcel from her bag. Her frail hand was scribbling away and when she finished writing whatever it was that seemed to be so important, she looked to me with a small smile on her face.

"How long has it been since Caspian's departure?" She questioned, looking over her spectacles at me.

"Three weeks," I answered tentatively, curious as to why she was smiling.

She scribbled more down and seemed to be nodding her head as she did so. Seconds later, she dropped the quill and looked at me, the smile still plastered on her face as she clasped her hands together," Well, though I cannot be one hundred percent positive, it appears as though you're with child, your majesty."

I swallowed hard as the words echoed off the walls. Emily released an excited squeal, as did Trina, but I gulped again and looked at the nurse with a look of disbelief plastered on my face," Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I don't think that's possible," I gaped, searching for words. " It-it just can't-how?"

The woman pulled her spectacles off her face and gave me another teasing smile," Now, now surely you are not so naïve to not understand how a woman becomes pregnant."

Immediately, I regretted asking the question and stayed silent as I tried to let reality sink in. Of course, I had known _how_ it had happened, but I just wanted to know how I was suppose to cope with this in addition to the stress of running a country. There couldn't have been a worse time for this to be thrown upon us, but for some reason, this had happened. Everything had purpose; therefore, this wasn't by mistake. If I really was with child, then the path ahead was only going to become much more interesting.

All of a sudden, a wave of panic rushed over me.

How was this real?

How was this happening?

Why was this happening?

If the nurse was accurate, then I had _a child growing inside of me_. A child that depended on me in order to live. I tried to factor in how this could possibly go wrong. I was far too young to have much experience with being a mother. I was alone without my husband who may or may not have been returning for a while. Not to mention that I had the duties of queen being placed on my shoulders as well.

While Trina and Emily were congratulating me, I secretly was hoping that the nurse was mistaken.

I couldn't take on those responsibilities yet. As everyone else seemed excited, I couldn't be more anxious. Surely, the nurse was mistaken.

* * *

Despite my silent prayers, weight gain and excessive changes of my mood seemed to tell the nurse once and for all that I was, indeed, pregnant. It was very odd to have so much weight gain in seemingly such a little time, to me at least. It probably was not as quickly as it felt. Never had I been a very large person; therefore, putting on so much weight did not feel comfortable.

Naturally, my dresses were all altered to make room for the growing baby inside of me and perhaps I ate a little more than what I normally I would have, but my life alone and pregnant was not entirely painful. After the first few days…weeks of convincing myself of the reality in front of me, I finally came to terms with my condition and tried to make the best of the situation...tried being the key word of that phrase. Sometimes, I thought that it was all useless and that the idea of being alone and pregnant was simply too much. Even though there was nothing I could do about the situation, there were days that I wanted out. Mentally, that was for physically still had to set the example for the country. Outside, it had to appear as though nothing was wrong, but on some days it seemed as though the inside was winning.

Separation truly does make the heart grow fonder because for those months that I was on my own, I realized how much I appreciated Caspian. In fact, it may have been for the best that he left just so that I could see how much I truly did love him. Days without him may not have been normal, but we made do with the most normal type of abnormal we could muster up.

Eventually, I realized that I wasn't entirely as alone as I thought I was. The summer months came and I spent the days with Apollo and Trina making plans for Narnia and finishing any construction that needed to be done from the year before. Emily and I would also do plenty of work in the community as well as communicating with other regions to try to build strong relationships. We carried out our responsibilities just as Caspian would have done. I learned to trust them more and more. I learned to take away the pride I was building on my shoulders of being "the queen". It was unnecessary for me to think everything was to come back on me.

Though in the day, I pretended as though Caspian were present, it was the evenings when I remembered him by staying out on the balcony during the warmer months and moving the memorial into his study during the colder months when snow would cover the landscape.

In a strange, slow (and by slow, I mean _very slow_) way, I learned to feel blessed to be pregnant, reason being that laying my hand atop of my stomach and in later months feeling the soft kicks from the baby was my reminder of the life growing inside of me. I would go so far as to say that it was the small hope that still lingered in me that Caspian was out there. Though I may have never been promised a return from Caspian, the soft kicks of the baby were a reassurance to me. A reminder that my husband may have very well been on his way home. A little piece of him was still alive inside of me, both literally and figuratively speaking.

The summer months seem to fly by and after fall was gone, winter set in her deep roots. I knew that if Caspian was not home by winter, then he would surely not be home until spring was well settled in. I was due to have our child at the end of winter, beginning of spring and it appeared as though Caspian would not be around for us to see the child born for it was difficult to sail in cold, brutal weather, as mentioned before. Preparations for the birth of the child were still made without Caspian. Trina had plenty of advice to offer me and Emily tried to be as best of a help as she could.

I remember when the first day of the new year came about and the Christmas celebrations were winding down. By this time, I had packed on quite the weight from the pregnancy and had all sorts of gifts for the baby coming in from all regions of the country. Nearly every woman that I spoke with asked me for the latest updates and I truly believe that had it not been for the anticipation of this baby, then I may have had a harder time staying positive.

Whenever the second month of the year came about, we all knew that the child could come at nearly any time. Everyone seemed to be rushing about to get all of the supplies needed should we be caught unsuspected. A baby bed was moved into the royal quarters for safety and one of the spare rooms of the suite was converted by the servant girls into a beautiful room that either a little boy or girl would be suited in. Some of a the women would question me over whether I preferred to have a girl or boy. Honestly, I told them that either gender would make me a happy mother, though I somewhat expected a girl due to the vision I had seen with Caspian in years past.

Though we suspected the baby to come toward the end of February, since that would put me roughly at nine months, it seemed as though the child wasn't ready to enter the world just yet. As strange as it may have seemed, the pregnancy was not necessarily a typical one. Nearly every day, the nurse would come in to check on me and say that the time would come when the baby was ready. It was strange to me, but I couldn't make an argument. I hardly had a say in the matter.

It was the second week of March.

I remember waking up in the middle of the night and waking the nurse as quickly as possible before being escorted to one of the beds in the hospital wing. Emily and Trina were quick to rush to the scene, as well. Child birth wasn't something to look forward to, as nearly every woman in the town told me, but a sort of adrenaline rushed through me whenever I realized that would be the morning Aslan would bless us with a sweet baby. My prayers that Caspian would return for the birth of the child were not answered, but after the strenuous, stressful process was over and my body was released of the extra weight I had carried about for nine months, I could see my child, face-to-face.

I could very well go into the details of that morning, but it was not the most pleasant morning for all of us and some of the details become rather graphic. The only matter of importance from that morning is the fact that I was blessed with the one thing that would change my life forever.

Sweat dripped down my face as the tension was finally released and I watched, as a hawk watches its prey, the midwife take the child, the screaming, bloody, absolutely frightening-looking child, away to be cleansed. In some people's eyes, the scene would have been gruesome, but for me, even from the distance, I could not get enough of the sweet, screaming baby. Nothing did I want more than to hold that child. I had not felt such a strong wanting for one thing in all of my life. Was it possible that such passion could be formed in such little time?

I then remembered, that this was not a short process, but a nine month one, rather.

"I want to see him," I demanded, keeping my eyes set on the bundle that the midwife carried in her arms, as if teasing me with withholding the baby from me.

"Calm down, you're about to," Emily said, chuckling slightly at the sound of how irritable I was.

Trina was assisting the midwife in cleansing the baby and finally, after seemingly eternity, the tall woman brought the child into my reach. Softly, she placed the bundle into my arms and said softly," You're now a mother to a baby boy."

I was in complete awe of the tiny being settling into my arms. A permanent smile seemed to be etched on my face as I looked into the red face of the fussing child. He may not have been the most quiet thing in the world, but he was the most precious thing I had ever laid eyes on. I had seen quite a lot of events and beauties, but none of those even compared to the sight of our baby boy. He already had a thick head of dark hair and a fine set of lungs. After several moments, he seemed to calm down and stop his wailing, just for a few moments. His skin may have been red, but every little feature...his mouth, his nose, his ear, they were all so precious and sweet. Looking at this child made me feel joy I had never felt in my life. Sure, the process by which I got him may have been the most painful of my life, but seeing him was worth it. Seeing him and remembering that my husband, his father, was somewhere out in the world...gave me hope.

I never wanted that moment to end. I may have been young and completely unprepared to be a mother, but all that mattered was that the sweet child I had longed to meet for many months was safe in my arms.

I had fallen in love all over again.

* * *

Those first few days, or nights shall I say, were some of the most tiring I had ever experienced. It seemed as though our little boy was having a hard time adjusting to a new sleeping pattern in the new and big world. All day, every day there was a midwife at my side, helping to calm the fussing child. I would be lying if I said I was the happiest mother on those first few nights for I felt as though I was in over my head. I remembered those fears that I had at the beginning of my pregnancy.

One evening, in particular, I remember being alone on the balcony, for spring was welcoming us. The little boy was screaming as I walked him back and forth, trying to calm him. I kept a hand on his tiny back and tried with all of my might to calm the little boy in one way or another. All of my efforts, in combination with Trina, and the midwife, seemed to be useless. It wasn't until I sat down to feed him that he was quiet long enough for me to gather my thoughts.

After several moments of precious silence, Emily entered into the open air of the balcony and looked at me," Have you decided on a name yet?"

I looked down at the tiny baby and realized once more that I couldn't give him a name. I felt a slight ping of guilt, but then realized that I would never be able to name him until I first spoke with Caspian.

"I can't, Emily," I said, looking up from the baby.

She released a sigh as she sat on the ledge," You're really going to wait?"

"I have to," I told her firmly, looking directly into her eyes.

"You realize that could be-"

"A long time," I finished her sentence with a nod of my head. "Or never. Yes, I do realize that, but for now I cannot give him a name with a clear conscious."

I could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to argue, but she only smiled in respect of my decision let the matter drop for the time being. She turned away to speak with the midwife over something else. As she was gone, I gazed out over the land and prayed that Caspian would be back. I felt rather pathetic asking for such a thing, but it was true.

I felt the weight of the child in my arms. The depth of the bags under my eyes. I needed him in order to raise this child.

And for a moment, I heard a voice whisper in the night air:

_All is well._

It frightened me greatly and when I asked the women if they had heard anything, they looked at me as if I had lost my mind and insisted that I go to bed. Arguing, I went to bed and tried to forget what I had heard. In my head, I believed this to be Aslan.

Two more long weeks of staying up through the night was what it took in order for the baby to finally get into a routine of sleeping at night and being awake during the day. I say this loosely for the child still struggled to sleep correctly. The midwife told me that he was one of the most active babies she had ever tended to, which may have been the polite way of saying he was the worst baby she had ever tended to. I loved the child more than words, but he was not the most well-behaved.

Spring was finally upon us and a year had passed since Caspian's departure. The baby was nearly two months old and he was still without a name, of course, I knew that he would need a name before long, but I could at least wait until spring was well in place.

I was thankful that I had.

"PREPARE THE PALACE! _DAWN TREADER'S _DOCKED! THE KING HAS RETURNED!" One of the servant boys yelled, running through the castle.

I was trying to calm the baby whenever I heard the loud noise. I predicted that the noise would spur a meltdown from the child, who was just starting to lift his head, in my arms, but I was wrong. He stayed perfectly quiet and as I looked down onto his cute face, I could have sworn his lips were curling up to a smile. His eyes, still a dark blue, but nearly changed to green, were fixed on mine with a perfect smile gracing his lips.

I got back to the quarters as quickly as I could and found Emily, cleaning up around the baby's bed. She looked up and instantly smiled.

"You heard?" She asked, her voice sounding as if it were dancing.

"He's come back!" I exclaimed, hearing a squeal come from even the little guy in my arms. He had been practicing plenty of noises, as well.

I had gotten to the point where life without Caspian may have just been normal. There wasn't any sorrow that I felt day after day. The most pain I was experiencing was the fact that I was taking care of a newborn baby with help, but from my maids and not my husband. I think that I always knew he would return, but I hadn't any time line as to when.

"Do you want me to watch him as you go greet them?" A servant girl, just entering the room, asked as I felt his tiny head start to wobble and adjust him to where he would no longer need to lift his own head.

I looked at her and mentally debated whether or not I should show Caspian the child just yet. It would have been much more exciting for me to surprise him, but looking at how alert the child now was, it seemed unfair that I should meet Caspian before he, but there would be plenty of activity down there, I was sure. It was only for the best that I not throw him into such activity yet.

"You may stay here with him," I told her, looking down and reluctantly placing him into her arms.

It was still strange to think of myself as being a mother, but I always knew that it was real by the feeling I felt when I had to give him up. Slight pain.

Moments later, Emily looked at me and started urging me out of the room. Reluctantly, I left, leaving my child behind with the servant, and went along with her to enter into the chaos that ensued on the main floor. Both Apollo and Trina seemed to be running about frantically, trying to figure out where to send everyone once the reunions were over. I hadn't much say in the matter, mostly because I chose not to become involved.

As soon as I entered the main entryway to the castle, it felt as though the room became thousands of times smaller from all the servants gathered around the door and pressed along to see the return of the king once again. I could hardly contain the excitement growing in my stomach. Finally, I wouldn't have to do this all entirely without my husband. We would all have the leadership we needed.

I wasn't able to wallow the thought for long because moments later, the doors to the castle were hauled open. I swallowed hard for even though I was seeing a loved one again, I still felt nerves. I prayed deep down that he had found everything he was searching for and could really stay in place this time around. We couldn't afford for him to leave anymore…at least, I couldn't.

The first one to enter through the doors was Stephen. He had always appeared to be very young in his face and structure, but he was no longer the teenager that I remembered seeing the year before. He was growing into a young man. I watched as his dark eyes searched the room and when he saw Emily, the rest of us may as well have been invisible as he ran to her and swept her off her feet.

After Stephen, the rest of the crew and its members came flooding into the main hallway, greeting family and friends they hadn't seen in a long time. Seeing all of the people made me smile, but I had yet to see the one I had waited for. Penelope was in the sea of crew and came running up to me.

Her skin looked even more tan than usual and I noticed several large cuts on the side of her face and neck. Not wanting to ask any questions, but simply glad at the fact that she was living. Her hair was knotted and thrown about in quite a crazy manner, but she hardly seemed to care as she tossed her body against my own.

"Rosalie!" She exclaimed, grasping me so tightly that I nearly lost all air circulation.

"Penelope!" I returned after catching my breath from the surprise.

She backed away and couldn't seem to stop smiling; she, too, was not a teenager anymore, but growing into her young woman years quite quickly.

"You won't believe the stories I've got for you!" She exclaimed, still seeming to be so incredibly joyful. Her hands were still on both of my shoulders, forcing me to look directly at her. "We got to see King Edmund and Queen Lucy again!"

"Really?" I asked, hardly able to believe her words. "I've got some stories for you, as well!"

"I'll explain all of the details later! You'll never believe it!" She cried, after patting my shoulder one last time and sidestepping out of my path. I watched as she seemed to skip away from me back to her own quarters, greeting her own friends as she did so.

I greeted person after person as they entered into the castle. Trina informed me between the spurts of people that there was going to be a welcome-home dinner tonight in their honor. I thanked her for telling me of the information and just as I turned away from her, I saw him. Caspian, the King, stood at the door, hair loose and looking as though he had been through quite the battle at sea. None of those details mattered, except for one.

He was home.

**Author's Note: So, I wasn't intending on making this a chapter…but it got a little lengthy when I put it with the next chapter…so happy reading! And also, my tennis season is finally over so I can focus on writing my next story. I need to apologize for the breaks and also another detail in this chapter (part of the reason why it took me so long to write) was Rosalie's pregnancy. Part of me wanted to go into more detail, but then again I felt like if I did then I would have to really understand what I'm writing, if that makes sense, and since I have never been pregnant I didn't want to mess that up. I know it may have seemed a little "rushed", but I hope that you all will understand. I felt like this chapter was a whirlwind of events, but it was necessary, I think. **

**SIDENOTE: I do not know the EXACT length of the voyage of the DT, but a year just so happened to work into my time line of the story.  
**

**Drop a review and let me know what you think :D **

**Next Chapter and Epilogue: TOMORROW!  
**


	44. Our Life Thereafter

**Disclaimer: I own very little. :D**

Chapter Forty-Four: Our Life Thereafter

Feeling a burst of childishness flooding through me, I nearly sprinted to meet him at the door. As I embraced him, I hoped that this journey would be the last time we would share such a reunion. For that moment, I nearly forgot all that had happened over the period of the last year and remembered back over all of the memories, scares, and triumphs we had experienced together. I could have stayed in that moment forever, saying nothing, but the words came to my lips.

"Did you find what it was you sought?" I asked him, looking up at him with his arms tight around me.

He smiled down at me," Yes," he paused for a moment as I felt his eyes nearly burn a hole through me," I did."

My answer was a simple smile as I slowly broke away from him.

"I owe you an apology, Rosalie," he said as we weaved our way through the crowd, he blindly gave a handshake and wave as we came through the crowd.

"Caspian-" I argued, but he was persistent. I had put this behind me. I was not bitter about his decision.

"No, my duty is here. And it will be until the day I die. For me to be so distracted and set on leaving, was wrong to you and the country….I'm deeply sorry and I promise that from here on out, I will be here with you," He told me very seriously as we stood in the middle of the large crowd.

I wanted to protest more, but from the look in his eyes, I knew that he must have been serious. I nodded my head silently and respectfully said," Thank you. I appreciate that, Caspian."

This statement actually left me with a mental sigh of relief. All this time, I wondered what would have happened had Caspian never returned or he returned with another adventure set on his mind. How would he have responded when I told him that we were parents? How would I be able to raise a child without him? I would no longer have to worry about either of those possibilities.

We said our greetings and began small conversations with several of the men still in the great hall. After quite a while of small talk, I figured that it would have been an appropriate time to introduce Caspian to his son. The men had started to disperse back into the city or other parts of the castle and were to return later after the cooks had prepared the meal for the evening.

Seeing as though we had plenty of time before the dinner, we made our way back to our quarters, talking over trivial matters as we did so. He told me little of what had happened on the journey. It seemed as though they met quite the characters. Lucy and Edmund being two of them, but one of them being the old royalty's cousin by the name of Eustace. Caspian described him as being somewhat of a pest, but having a good heart deep down.

I kept speaking with Caspian as if everything was normal, but the truth was that my heart was beating out of my chest. I was anxious then more than ever before.

Caspian also informed me that Reepicheep had chosen an offer given to him by Aslan, himself. He offered his country to Reepicheep. Aslan's Country was a place where every Narnian longed to go, or should have longed to. He explained that Reepicheep would not be returning to us and this made me slightly sad, for I had grown rather fond of the mouse, but I had to understand that this was only a part of life. He really was in a better place.

Just after he broke the news, we were already on the second floor. Conversation carried on and so it was that we were in front of our room.

Instantly, I placed myself between Caspian and the door.

He looked at me and raised a brow," Yes?"

I swallowed, trying to calm myself," Allow me to go in first…I've a surprise for you," I stuttered, saying the first thing that came to my head.

He looked at me warily, I felt as if he could see right through me. He nodded at me and I took this as an invitation to go on in. Quickly, I scurried into the bed chambers and retrieved the child, who was cackling with the servant girl, and thanked the girl for her assistance. I also told her to allow Caspian to come inside. She nodded and quickly left.

I looked down at the dark haired, tiny baby who was looking at me with wide, curious eyes. Typically, he always enjoyed the company of the girls and was in a rather good mood after I got him back. I watched as he fluttered his little eyes at me and adjusted himself in my arms. He had just started to be able to lift his head on his own and after a couple minutes, I saw him lift his head from my arms and look around, as if anticipating something. Was it possible that he knew what was about to happen?

My heart seemed to be beating out of my chest as I heard Caspian's footsteps coming toward the door. I swallowed hard and could hardly wait as I saw the door creep open. As soon as he stepped into the room, I saw his eyes widened and jaw drop.

He was speechless for many moments before spluttering," W-who-Rosalie? What is this? Are you-"

I smiled, chuckling at his confusion. The child in my arms released a squeal, as if he already knew who his father was," Caspian, when you asked me what I had been up to over the last year…the truthful answer would be _him_."

"Who's child is this?" Caspian asked, obviously not catching the drift at first, for he was very much in shock. I shook my head at him, bouncing the child slightly. Caspian was in awe of the child and still had no idea what to do, but spluttered once more," He's o-ours?" He raised a brow at me, still trying to figure out the situation.

"Yes, Caspian," I said softly, coming closer to him while releasing a soft chuckle.

I looked down at the child, who was laughing and said to him," I think its time for you to meet, daddy."

He looked at me as if I had four eyes for several more moments before releasing a sigh and placing a smile on his face. He started laughing and shaking his head, as if in hysterics, but I could tell that it was merely out of joy. Again, he shook his head and looked at the child, who was also smiling, in my arms," He's really our son?"

"Caspian, the answer is still the same. Yes," I said, smiling at his disbelief before teasing, "Now, you've been off at sea for the last few months, I think its time you stay up at night trying to get him to sleep."

I quickly shifted the little guy in my arms, who seemed to moving more than ever before. The baby had not been able to do much with his hands, other than clap once, at best, but at that moment I watched as his tiny arm stretched out toward Caspian.

A smile came to my lips as I looked at Caspian, who was happier than I think I had ever seen him before. I helped him adjust his arms so that he could hold the child, and ever-so-softly placed the baby into his arms. Caspian seemed to be watching me as I assisted him and as soon as I placed the weight of the child in his arms, he looked directly at me, as if nervous.

"This is surreal," He whispered to me while at the same time shifting his gaze to his son.

I nodded my head in agreement as the moment sunk in.

"I found out I was pregnant three weeks after you left, Caspian," I told him softly. "You could say I was in denial for quite the time. I still don't know if any of this is real or not."

He didn't answer for several moments for he was already playing with our son, causing him to smile and coo at his father. I had to smirk at the sight of the scene of pure innocence.

"I regret not being able to see the birth," He said to me somberly, after several minutes.

I smiled, remembering how badly I had wished he would have been there as well. I knew that for some reason, it wasn't meant to be, but none of that really mattered at that point. All that mattered was that he was home.

"Don't worry too much over it," I told him quietly as I tip toed up to kiss him on the cheek. "You wouldn't have wanted to be there anyways."

"I'll be there next time," He told me, seriously looking right at me.

I teasingly widened my eyes and looked at him as though he was insane," You're already talking about another child? We haven't even gotten much of a taste of this one yet!"

He looked down at the angelic face in his arms then back to me, chuckling," I'm sure we will both be up for another sweet child."

I joked again," You're not the one who's been staying up all night with that little 'angel'. Nor did you have to give birth to him!"

He released a laugh before rolling his eyes. He couldn't say anything else for there was a knock at our door. It sounded rather urgent and as soon as I opened the door, it seemed as though Penelope threw herself through the door, already going off on a new tangent. Perhaps, I hadn't missed her as much as I had originally thought.

"Rosalie I cannot believe you!" She exclaimed, running at me, pointing a finger.

I swallowed and looked at her with wide eyes," What?"

"You had a _child_ and didn't tell me?" She exclaimed again, even louder this time than the time before.

"Penelope, how was I-" I tried, but then another voice could be heard coming down the corridor.

"PENELOPE, LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR NOW-" Emily was yelling and she too appeared in the doorway, looking out of breath as she leaned against the frame.

Caspian was standing to the side with an amused look on his face. He was slightly rocking the child, who seemed to be wondering why these people had interrupted, as well.

"Penelope," Emily breathed hard," Please, I told you to give them some time, first."

"Emily, I did not sprint all the way up here just to be told I can't see my baby nephew," She argued back, hardly caring at how out-of-breath Emily was or Caspian's first reunion with his son.

"Penelope, I really don't know if now's the best-" I tried arguing and shot Caspian a questioning look.

He shook his head as if there was not a problem and said," He's right here if you want to see him, Penelope."

She moved over and delicately slid her arms under the child's body, moving him into her arms. He looked up at her curiously and stared for several long moments. I wondered if he was going to smile or show any emotion for quite some time, but after many minutes he cracked a smile and even cackled at her. She seemed oblivious to the rest of us for a very long while before placing the child back into Caspian's arms and nodding cordially to me.

"Next time you have a child, make sure you tell me before the child is two months old! Rosalie…" She said with a shake of her head.

I laughed, hardly taking her seriously," Penelope, you've been out on an adventure at sea for the last year. Just how was I suppose to send you a message?"

She thought for a moment before cracking a smile," I'm only joking, Rosalie. But really."

She turned to exit along with Emily, who was growing more irritated with Penelope by the minute, but before she could leave; she looked back directly at me," What are you naming the child?"

Caspian looked at me and I looked at him before I said," I was wondering the same thing…"

Caspian rocked the child slightly before turning back to me," We'll think of something, I'm sure."

I looked back to my sister, knowing she would be dissatisfied with the answer," You'll be the first to know."

And with that, they were gone. Caspian, the baby, and I spent the rest of the day together and while the child slept for the afternoon nap, Caspian and I discussed many things from his adventure at sea to possible names for the baby. Sitting on the balcony and talking with Caspian was nice, and from that moment on began our life as a family.

* * *

_Several Years Later_

"….There were four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. They weren't so unlike you two. They came to Narnia whenever the White Witch was ruling. Do you remember what I told you about her?" I said, trying my hardest to calm down the both of my children for bed. They were very restless that evening.

Rilian, our little boy who had just turned six, jumped up and down on the bed before plopping himself in front of me with his wide brown eyes linked on mine," She was a mean witch!"

At my side, under my arm, sat Annalisa, our daughter who was barely three years old. She was very much the less hyperactive of the two and looked up at me, just as interested as Rilian, but with much less energy said," She made it cold, mommy."

"You're both right," I said, before I turned the page and continued to tell them all about the stories of the Pevensie children, just as my mother had done with me as a child.

Although, I found that my view on the Pevensies was entirely different with my children than my mother would have had with us. I had a personal connection with the Pevensies, though my children did not know that, at the time. I didn't intend on telling them much of our involvement with the Pevensies until they were well old enough to fully understand. For their childhood years, the Pevensies would be the same to them as they were to my siblings and me; storybook characters.

"Mommy, mommy-" Rilian kept on trying to interrupt, he never could seem to go very long without cutting in.

"Rilian, what did I tell you about interrupting?" I asked him, pausing the story to give him a stern look.

He looked down, as if ashamed of himself," Not to do it."

"Thank you, son," I told him before continuing on with the story.

It wasn't until the very end of the story whenever Aslan came and saved the day that I basically allowed for the both of them to do nearly whatever they pleased. Rilian seemed much more interested in becoming the characters than Annalisa, who normally played along some, but not nearly as much.

I remember finishing the story that evening and just as the book shut, Rillian jumped up and declared," I am High King Peter!"

He danced around the room, declaring his royalty and I smiled at his joyfulness before looking down at the yawning girl tucked under my arm," Mommy, I'm tired," Annalisa, my green-eyed daughter looked up at me and said in her most pathetic voice.

"We can go to bed soon, sweetheart," I said softly to her just as Rilian came running over to her side.

"Stay away from mother, White Witch!" He exclaimed, waving his imaginary sword at his sister.

I thought that Annalisa was going to throw a fit, but instead she looked up at me, as if asking permission to chase him, and as soon as I nodded my head and whispered," Go get him," she seemed to be sprung to life and chased her older brother around the room.

I watched with a seemingly permanent smile on my face as my childhood years returned to me. As they played, I crept out of bed and placed the book back on the shelf in Caspian's study before returning to our bedchambers to find Annalisa pinning her brother to the wall, a rather surprising turn of events. I supposed that Rilian must have let her win for once.

"Looks as though your sister has won for tonight, your majesty," I said playfully, coming over to break up the scuffle.

"You will never win White Witch!" Rilian fought back, immediately shoving his sister off, not as gruffly as he could of. I was glad that he was at least showing her some mercy.

"I am _not_ the White Witch!" She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes you are!" Rilian cried in response, pulling himself from the ground as I picked up his sulking sister and placed her on my hip. She looked at me, her green eyes wide as she asked," I am not, right mommy?"

Before I could answer, I saw a figure leaning against the doorframe of our bedroom. Instantly, I looked up to see Caspian grinning from ear to ear as he watched the scene. After the kids saw me look at him, they both shot their eyes over to the door to see their father.

It was as if all of the calmness (though not very much) that I had tried to get into them, especially Rilian, was gone as Annalisa squealed and Rilian ran and launched himself at his father," Daddy!"

The young boy was already attached to his father before I could say another word. Annalisa, who was not one to jump around like her brother, looked at me and beamed. I carried her over to her father; she absolutely loved her father. After Caspian wrestled Rilian off, he looked over to Annalisa, perched in my arms.

"Hi daddy," she said sweetly, being quite the little ham.

"Hi sweetheart," he answered, placing a hand on Rilian's head to keep him from charging again. " Did you have fun today, Annalisa?"

She nodded her head and though I saw that she wanted to be just as excited as Rilian was, her eyelids had been drooping for quite some time. At that moment, she released a huge yawn before saying," I had lots of fun!"

"Lots of fun, huh?" He asked enthusiastically, raising his brow as he continued to keep Rilian at bay as he spoke to his daughter.

"Lots and lots!" She answered, fighting another yawn.

He chuckled before leaning in and kissing her softly on the cheek," Looks like you had a little too much fun for one day."

I adjusted her on my hip before saying quietly," Tell him goodnight, Annalisa."

"Goodnight, daddy," She said quietly, forcing her eyes to stay alert.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," He said before averting his attention back to his rambunctious son who demanded his attention.

"Rosalie, are you going to tuck her in?" Caspian asked me as he picked up the young boy and tossed him playfully over his shoulder.

I released a sigh, seeing that all my work at calming Rilian down was gone for good, but still smiling at the sight of how excited he was to see his father," Yes, as long as you tuck him in."

"Alright!" Caspian answered, very distracted at this point.

I turned away from the hectic scene and focused on getting my sleepy daughter to bed. As soon as I placed her in her bed, just down the hall from Caspian and I's room, she seemed to immediately pull the covers up to her nose, hardly even giving me a chance to tuck her in before she started closing her eyes.

The little girl about to fall asleep in that bed was a split combination of both Caspian and myself. It was no lie that she was attached to Caspian, nearly at the hip, but every time a person looked into her eyes, they knew she was my child, as well. Her tan skin and long dark hair seemed to prove even more so of her Telmarine blood. She may not have been as adventuresome as Rilian was going to be, but she most definitely was willing to stand up for herself when necessary, that was already obvious.

"I love you, mommy," She whispered, innocently, suppressing another yawn with her eyes half-open.

I smiled, hardly able to realize how much she had grown. I remembered the day that Annalisa was born and what the blessing she was! Rilian was a gift of pure joy while Annalisa was the gift of pure innocence. I loved them equally, of course, but she was my baby. Every day that passed, I still could not believe how much she had grown.

"I love you too, darling," I answered, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead before turning to blow out the candle.

I stood up and made my way through the dark room until I reached the corridor and saw that Caspian had already managed to wrestle Rilian into bed. Quietly, I crossed the corridor and peeked into the room, where Caspian sat at the side of the young boy's bed, talking to him quietly.

"Daddy, I want to go on an adventure!" He exclaimed, as Caspian pulled the covers over our son's body. That sentence had once come out of both Caspian and my own mouth. I could see that he already was planning to follow in our footsteps.

Caspian chuckled as he fixed the pillows behind Rilian's head," Perhaps, one day you will son. But as for now, you need your sleep!"

Rilian, on the other hand, had been quite the rascal as a baby, unlike his sister. He gave Caspian and I quite the handful from a very young age all the way up until his current age. He always seemed to have so much curiosity and ambition packed into his little body. There was nothing about that child that didn't absolutely spell out Caspian. Everything from his hair, to his skin, to his eyes, to his voice…he was nearly a clone.

Raising Rilian could have been quite enough, but we decided that one more child would make for a companion for him. Annalisa and Rilian may have been opposites, but they complemented each other quite well. The pair of children made for some interesting events and though Caspian and I were still young, with two children, we were forced to grow up quite a bit. Other than their playful bickering, they got along quite well. Parenting was not something that I claimed to master, in fact, there was a lot that I didn't know that I wish I would have known, but the children still grew up to be fine.

At first, I thought that being pregnant was some sort of awful, scary stage and that having a child was going to be entirely life changing. That it was, but there were many rewarding moments in being a mother. There were lessons that my children taught me every day that I could have never learned in any of those meetings with the royal leaders or out exploring the country. One of the most essential lessons was probably patience, as Rilian knew how to press, so well.

"But daddy-" He whined as Caspian leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Rilian, it's time for bed. Okay, son?" He told him sternly as he leaned over to blow out the candle

Just as the room darkened, the young boy's voice said, in defeat," Okay, daddy."

"Goodnight, Rilian," Caspian said finally and with that started to leave from the room. Within moments, Caspian was face-to-face with me.

"Good work, dad," I said to him, playfully, with a smile on my face.

We turned back toward our bedchambers," I think you got the easy job tonight," He answered as we entered into our quarters again.

"What?" I asked as I moved over to my side of the bed, I had dressed for bed long ago with the children.

Caspian made his way over to the drawers where his night tunic was and changed into something more comfortable rather than the formal dress robes required for work. I still listened as he moved into the powder room adjoined to our room.

"You know what."

"He loves his dad!" I added as I waited for Caspian to re-enter the room.

Moments later, Caspian came back into our quarters and slid under the covers beside me. He looked at me incredulously, not falling for my innocence one bit," Sometimes, I wonder where Annalisa gets her deceiving little stories from and then I remember that she is her mother's child."

"Caspian!" I exclaimed, instinctively grabbing the journal that lay on my bedside table and hitting him in retaliation.

As soon as the journal hit him, he grabbed it and looked at me with the raise of his brow," What might this be?"

To be honest, there was nothing that lay inside the journal. I had received it as a gift from my mother a long time before and never used it for anything. I mostly thought that it just fit to be sitting upon my bedside table as if I actually used it for something. It didn't take him long to figure this out for he had starting flipping through the pages.

"It's just an old journal," I told him as he closed it once more and retied the leather strap that came around the journal.

"Perhaps, you should make something of that journal one day," Caspian offered, placing it back in my hands. "Make it useful for something."

I looked at him to try to determine whether he was being serious or not," Maybe I will."

"In all honesty, I think you should. It's not as though you would have nothing to write about," He told me moving the pillows behind him to where he found them most comfortable.

I furrowed my brow," Such as?"

He shook his head and raised his hands," Don't ask me. It's your journal, but I'm simply saying is that it's not as though you've got nothing to write on."

Seeing as though the conversation was not going anywhere, I tossed the journal back onto the bedside table and blew out the candle. Caspian did the same and just as I was pulling the covers over and turning on my side I said," Sometimes, I wonder where Rilian gets his orneriness from and then I remember he's his father's son."

Caspian laughed and I turned to face him once more in the moonlight as he sighed," I guess I can't deny that one."

We both laughed for several more moments before I turned over on my side and tried to calm my brain down from the events. It seemed as though every evening I found myself in awe of being where I was and the process it took in order for us to get there. Never was there a day that I wasn't thankful for all of the opportunities we had been blessed with and therefore allowed to finally settle down and have a family, even if it wasn't exactly when we had planned it.

And for some reason, I had a rush of knowledge flood over me as I laid in bed, recollecting over all that had happened. It was rather normal for me to remember the details of our story, but at that moment I thought about the idea that Caspian had just told me about putting that journal to use.

"Caspian," I said, hoping he hadn't already fallen asleep.

"Yes?" He answered, rather drowsily from behind me.

"You don't suppose I should write about…Narnia and all that's happened here…do you?" I asked, knowing that this may have not been the best time to discuss the topic.

I felt him move closer to me and heard him whisper in my ear," I think that sounds like a wonderful idea."

I was silent.

Had I written down the stories, perhaps one day our kids could do the same with their children. Perhaps, they would read the stories of their grandparents. It was worth a try. I was much too tired to actually get up and start working away; therefore I told myself that eventually, someway, somehow I was going to accurately record all of our journeys. I was not just going to tell the story; however, but I was going to make them real. I wanted to make them come to life so that they never died.

"Goodnight, Caspian," I whispered, hardly able to muster much of a voice. "I love you."

"And I you, Rosalie," He answered, just as quietly as I had spoken.

Just as the sun sets below the horizon, our story was coming to a close. Looking back on the events, I realized that there were plenty of things I would have rather done differently and choices that I would have rather thought through more intensely, but it was from those mistakes that I would later become a more educated, wise adult and role model for my child. Our adventures, or "sun", if you will, may have been setting, but there was still plenty more to be done in the land of Narnia.

_The End_

**Author's Note: Tomorrow, I'm going to post an epilogue, kind of explaining what happened to everyone else :)**** Drop a review! And yes, I do know that in "real life" Caspian never had a daughter. **

**Anyways, thanks for everything guys! This is the "end" of the actual story.**


	45. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I own very little and what I don't own belongs to C.S. Lewis.**

_Epilogue_

It came as no surprise to all of us two years after the return of Caspian, that Stephen proposed to Emily. I remember being pregnant with Annalisa and trying to chase around a rambunctious Rilian whenever she threw open the door to our quarters, squealing with excitement.

"Rosalie!" She wailed, just as I was about to catch Rilian, who was running down the hall.

Emily turned the corner and just as I entered the corridor, I saw Rilian run directly into her. In the excitement of the moment, she bent down and picked up the child before looking to me, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Emily, what seems to be the problem?" I asked, trying to catch my breath as I came face-to-face with her.

She raised her hand to eye level and I noticed a shining, silver band on her left hand. I couldn't contain my excitement either.

"Emily!" I exclaimed, grabbing her hand as Rilian squirmed in her arms.

"Mommy!" He cried, but I was much too absorbed in the moment.

"When did he ask?" I questioned, looking her in the eye seconds later. We had both anticipated this moment for so long that it was hard to believe it was real.

"Just moments ago! We went on a walk by river and right whenever we go to the end of the trail, he asked me! It was ridiculous and I can't believe it happened!" She screamed again, not as loudly as the first, but still excited. "I'm engaged!"

I took Rilian from her arms and shared in her excitement," Emily, I'm so excited for you. We've a wedding to plan!"

And so we did. I nearly enjoyed planning Emily's wedding more than I did my own. Trina was once again the head of nearly everything and we were to subject to her, but there were plenty of nights that both her and I would stay up late planning nearly all of the details. It was in the spring that all of our hard work came together to produce a lovely, quaint ceremony in the castle courtyard. She looked absolutely beautiful and Stephen was hardly even the same person.

Whenever I saw him, standing at the alter, I was reminded of how much he had changed. When we first met him, he seemed to want nothing to do with Emily and it never ceased to amaze me how much that had changed. He was now a tall, muscular young man, still with dark hair and dark eyes, but his whole aura was different when he was with Emily. They truly were complete whenever they were together.

After Stephen and Emily had been married for nearly two years, I remember Emily once again coming to me, very excited. It was then that I was dealing with both a four-year old Rilian and a hardly one-year old Annalisa. Just as I had put Rilian down for a nap and was taking Annalisa for a stroll, Emily came bursting into the door once more, with a smile on her face announcing her pregnancy.

Both of us were quite excited once more, but the one thing we did not expect was that not only was she pregnant; she was pregnant with twins. It was very rare for anyone to give birth to two children at once and unfortunately, the chance of survival was not very likely for the mother. I remember Emily and Stephen both being very frightened by this and the only thing Caspian, Penelope, and I could do was offer up prayer and support for the two.

After a very long, complicated, and risky childbirth, Stephen's family gained two more members, a boy and a girl. They most definitely were in for quite the challenge, but Emily had faith that everything did, in fact, happen for a reason and tried to mask her fear best as possible. Caspian insisted that we assist our friends as best as we could and therefore offered to watch over Rilian and Annalisa for several nights as I helped to take care of Hazel, the baby girl who was just as rambunctious as Rilian had been, and even more. The little boy, John, was very mild mannered and reminded me greatly of my own Annalisa.

Never had I seen Stephen show so much joy. Of course, his eyes lit up every time he saw Emily, but a new joy came about him whenever his children were in his arms. It hardly ever sunk in that both Stephen and Emily and Caspian and I were parents. Trina and Apollo had quite a bit of knowledge to share with us for at the time that were all new parents, they were the "veterans" of the group with children nearing the age of ten.

It was very odd to see Isabella and Emory so old. Isabella was obsessed with assisting us in any way possible. Even though at times she could be a pest, she could be helpful to entertain Rilian at times as well. Emory, on the other hand, was still rather shy and didn't have much of an interest in being around the children for very long. From what Trina told me, he had little interest for anything other than reading no matter how hard they tried to get him to do other activities.

Penelope, on the other hand, was doing fine as well and seemed to be the only young woman in the castle who was not with child or already a young mother. She was completely content with that too. It seemed as though after what happened on the Dawn Treader really impacted her and it took her nearly a year to even tell me what had happened. I still don't know all of the details, but it seems as though King Edmund broke her heart and nearly crushed her interest in any men Narnia had to offer.

It wasn't as though she didn't have the opportunity fall for anyone, but it was that she had no interest in them. Every once and awhile, she would go out with one of the young men from town, but she would come back late crying and upset. For several long years, she held on to the thought of Edmund coming back and I kept on reminding her that he, like Peter, would never come back and that she, like I had to do, must move on. He had left for a reason, but she would not accept that until many years later.

She continued on with her life, happy in most aspects and not envious of having children to raise. She informed both Caspian and I several times that there were still plenty of things she wanted to do in her life and building a family wasn't necessarily at the top of her list. I remember how much our children respected Penelope, who seemed to be addicted to finding a new adventure. They would always talk about how much they wanted to go with her on one of her trips and for many years Caspian and I told them that only when they were old enough or it were completely necessary would we allow them to go with her.

Plenty of times, it seemed as though she would come back badly battered and with new and completely outrageous stories. Though Caspian and I loved to have her speak with the children about her stories, after they were asleep, we would ask her what _really_ happened. Their ears didn't need to hear _all_ of the details. With every trip she would come back saying that there had to be something _more_ and that was what kept her going back for so many years.

Even now, as I sit here writing all of this down, I haven't the slightest where my sister is or what she is doing. In fact, Rilian and Annalisa, who are nearly entering their teenage years now, do not even know. It is not unusual for Penelope to tell them what she is doing, but leave Caspian and I in the dark. Wherever she may be, I'm sure she is only working to benefit Narnia.

Maybe one day, she will come home and settle down as the rest of us have done. Or, perhaps, she will choose the life of adventure as her life. Either way, I have complete trust in what she does.

To this day, our children have no knowledge of what Caspian and I went through. I intended on telling them the stories as soon as they could understand and I think that they are on the verge of being able to understand. I still do not know how we are to explain King Miraz, Lord Sopespian, their dead grandfather, or Jacob, their dead uncle. It would only be for their benefit to know, but I am not yet ready to tell them.

Life in Narnia had gone back to normal and we were content with the exception of Penelope. There were no evil men trying to overthrow the government or threaten our families. Nor were there any giants coming to attack Telmar; we were safe.

Perhaps one day, Penelope will return to us for good and record her stories of her adventures as well as tell us about everything that happened while she was at sea. Perhaps one day, after our children have grown and experienced their own trials, they will pick up their own journals and record what they have learned and all they have seen.

There isn't a doubt in my mind that everything that has happened to both Caspian and I happened for a reason and it is my memories that make me the person I am today. Hopefully, my children and their descendants will learn the same lesson that we have learned over the years.

**Author's Note: I realize that this chapter could have been left out, but I thought you all might want a little glimpse as to what happened to Emily, Stephen, Penelope and their children. And this is the official end to the story that has almost taken a year to write. How crazy! Thanks again you guys for all of your support and such. I hope it has been as fun for you to read as it has been for me to write.**

**Keep an eye out because I am going to be writing another story; however, it will not be a Narnia story. I am fairly certain that it will be a Harry Potter story and it will be another female OC. If you want anymore details on it PM me! As I've said before, maybe one day I will return to Narnia, but as for now I think I am putting it on hold. There are a million possibilities for this story to continue with their children and such, but I need a break for now.**

**God Bless **

**~TennisQueen12**


	46. Happy Mother's Day!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except for my characters.

Happy Mother's Day!

The sun was shining and a gentle breeze was blowing through the land of Telmar as the sound of children's laughter echoed through the city. All around, children could be seen running about, chasing each other while letting out joyful squeals. Even at the castle, the children were out with their parents chatting casually. Flowers were blooming around the, currently empty fountain where several men were gathered around, attempting to fill the stone-structure with water.

Sitting on a bench nearby was the Queen herself, Rosalie with her companion, Emily, and sister Penelope. All were grateful to have been able to switch from the heavy dresses of winter to the light, flowing dresses of spring. If they were to be forced to wear them, at least they could have been comfortable.

"Will someone please tell Stephen to back away from the fountain?" Emily sighed, shaking her head as she observed her husband, trying to fix the cracked fountain.

Rosalie let out a soft chuckle," At least he's got something to keep him occupied for awhile. I'm sure he doesn't want to have any part of what's going on inside the castle."

She said this for she knew that her own husband was cooped up in the throne room, dealing with some citizens, who, as of late, had been complaining over some petty issues, but were causing enough of a ruckus to keep King Caspian very occupied. She had seen less and less of him as of late, but he made an appoint to separate himself from the situation to come and see both her and their children, who currently were running around in circles in the courtyard.

Rillian and Annalisa, the royal children, were running about. Their mother happened to look just as Rillian, who was eight years old, had shoved passed his sister with a little more force than he had intended. Before her eyes, she watched as her sweet little daughter crashed to the ground. Rosalie never knew a five-year old could scream so loud from just a simple fall. Almost immediately, the two behind them, John and Hazel, Emily and Stephen's children, rushed over to their side. John, who was the more mild-mannered of the two, offered to help Annalisa to her feet, but she simply wailed even louder.

Both Rosalie and Emily were on edge at the sound of a child's scream. Even Stephen, who had been rather distracted, turned to make sure it was nothing serious.

Rosalie rose to her feet and went as quickly as she could to pick up the screaming child, who was being rather difficult to lift.

"Miss Rosalie, I think it was just an accident," John said meekly, his wide brown eyes looking up innocently at the queen.

Rosalie smiled down at him as she patted her daughter's back comfortingly, the tears were slowing down now.

" I'm sure it was, but _someone_," She said making direct eye contact with her son, who was just now appearing from behind one of the columns. "..needs to be a little more careful."

"I didn't mean to mom!" He yelled defensively, hiding himself back behind the column.

Rosalie let out a sigh before patting Annalisa's back one last time as her daughter looked right at her, sniffling," I'm okay, mom."

Annalisa was always the more tender-hearted of the two. Sure, she would cry while the pain was fresh and new, but as soon as she calmed down…she was quick to forgive and move on. She most certainly was laid-back which made raising her much less trying. Rillian on the other hand, had a little too much of Caspian and Rosalie's, at times, spirit. As soon as Rosalie kissed Annalisa's cheek before placing her down on the ground, she knew she had some disciplining to do with Rillian.

"Rillian," She said warningly, as she walked over to the column where he hid.

"Mom, I prooooommise," He said, drawling out the word more than necessary. "I didn't mean to!"

"Rillian, I know you didn't, but simply apologize to your sister," She said sternly, coming around the corner as he scurried farther away from his mother.

"There's nothing to apologize about!" He cried, still running away.

Rosalie let out a deep sigh, before looking over to her sister and Emily, who were laughing at the sight of Rosalie having to chase after her son. She knew she wouldn't be able to catch him, but she would have to cut him off somewhere. For several pillars, she ran and ran, not being able to chase him. Rillian was persistent and did not want to give in. The other three children, however, had chosen to take a seat in front of the women sitting. Annalisa had curled up in her aunt's lap while Hazel and John watched, laughing as they watched Rosalie chase after Rillian.

Just when she was about to give up and put the punishment off, she watched as Rillian ran right into one of the men exiting the castle. Rosalie gasped and put her hands over her mouth, hoping it was not one of the older gentlemen. To her relief, it was none other than the King himself, Rillian's father and her husband. Caspian looked down, startled at first before he bent down and picked up the child, smiling.

"Dad!" Rillian exclaimed happily as Caspian tossed the child over his shoulder, dangling him by his ankles, listening to the squeals before pulling him back over and setting him down on the ground.

"In a hurry?" Caspian asked, crouching down to eye-level with his son. Caspian hadn't even noticed Rosalie chasing after him until several seconds later.

Rillian opened his mouth to answer," Well-"

Rosalie came closer, her arms crossed over her chest as a smirk played on her lips," He knocked over his sister and doesn't want to apologize."

Caspian met her eyes before looking back to his son, much more stern-looking," Rillian, is this true?"

Rillian didn't answer for several seconds and looked down to the ground, kicking his foot back and forth nervously before answering shakily," Yes…but-"

Caspian placed a hand on his shoulder before saying," Son, it doesn't matter the circumstance…you need to apologize for your actions."

Rillian looked up and met his father's eyes before saying, as if in defeat," Okay…"

"Now come on," Caspian said, standing up and guiding his son over to the courtyard where Annalisa sat. In the meanwhile, Caspian looked over to his wife, who walked alongside the two of them. He smirked at her as she simply shook her head, as if she knew that Caspian was escorting an exact replica of himself.

It nearly broke Rosalie's heart to watch as Caspian nudged Rillian to go over to Annalisa. The little girl eyed her brother warily as she played with her braided hair. The tan-skinned child blinked her eyes several times, watchhing him in the absolute silence. He let out a sigh, as if literally letting out his pride before saying," I'm. Sorry. Annalisa."

Rosalie would have wanted him to be a little more sincere, but both her and Caspian knew that it was as close as they were going to get to an actual apologize.

"It's okay," She answered meekly.

Within a matter of seconds, Rillian was off and running away once more, the little ones were quick to follow.

"Hazel, John," Emily called after them sternly. Both of the children looked back at their mother with great attentiveness. "Be careful."

"Yes, mom," They said at the same time before looking to one another, smiling, and chasing after Rillian and Annalisa.

Rosalie let out a sigh as she approached the two women and Caspian. She looked specifically at Emily," You've got them trained so well…"

Emily chuckled as she crossed her legs," It's not as though they will listen!"

Caspian joined in, smiling," Emily, I've never seen your children misbehave."

They all laughed slightly at this, knowing it was true. Rosalie came closer to Caspian, who put his arm around her shoulders before kissing her lightly on the cheek," We could have gotten both children like that…"

Just as she said that, Rillian let out a loud yell before galloping down the corridor. Both the king and queen simply shook their heads. Caspian let out a laugh as Rosalie looked to Penelope and Emily, as if asking for assistance," That child…"

"Is a blessing. You should enjoy his energy!" Emily tried to be positive, but the smirk on her face told us differently.

Penelope chuckled at this," If only…,"

Silence hung on for several seconds after the laughter died down. Small chat proceeded for several minutes before Caspian finally said," I'll see you tonight, your boy and Annalisa have been planning something for you."

"My boy? We've been over this before…" Rosalie argued teasingly before Caspian squeezed her one last time and stepped away. He started back into the castle as she called after him.

"Wait, what do they have planned?" She asked curiously, but he simply kept walking on, he only smirked back at her.

Just as he had exited to return to his meetings, the three of them heard a yelp and looked behind them to see Stephen jumping around, trying to avoid the water spilling from the fountain. It was really quite comical to watch him get drenched by the broken fountain that was beyond repair. Several moments later, he sauntered over, dripping from head to toe.

Emily couldn't help but smile, we all held back our laughter, seeing as the look on his face was not humorous. Stephen's face was stoic as he sat down next to Emily. She scooted over, not wishing to get wet. He looked at her, only slightly offended as his children ran around the corner, seeing him completely soaked.

Without saying anything, the both of them began to laugh before sprinting off. Emily began to chuckle at this point and then the others followed soon after.

"What?" Stephen asked, slightly smiling. "What's wrong?"

"You're…wet," She said, looking at him as if he were disgusting.

A boyish smirk came to his lips as he slid closer to her before throwing his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek, much to her displeasure. Both Penelope and Rosalie laughed at the sight of Emily's face as she pushed him away," Stop it! You're terrible!"

He only laughed," I love you too, Emily."

She stood up, her light yellow dress, as well as half of her hair was damp," Stephen, sometimes I just want to-"

"I love you more," He said, smiling at her.

She simply shook her head before looking at the two others," I'll see the both of you later."

Stephen got up after several seconds and chased after her, trying to mend his relationship. Along the way, he took the opportunity to tease his children, embracing the both of them in a wet hug. Penelope and Rosalie watched as the family walked off, laughing between the two of them.

"Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?" Rosalie finally asked her sister, who was standing up from sitting.

She shook her head before looking at Rosalie," I've a date tonight."

"Ohh," Rosalie said, interested. "With who?"

Penelope answered, not very enthusiastically," Some boy from town…I'm not entirely excited."

"Hang in there," Rosalie said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Will do," Penelope answered with a sigh.

The both of them walked out of the courtyard, corralling Annalisa and Rillian as they did so. They bid farewell to Penelope before the family went back to their home.

* * *

Later that evening, Rosalie was very curious as to what Caspian had planned. She wasn't allowed into the balcony off of the family room for nearly the rest of the afternoon and he had kidnapped the kids; therefore, she was basically quarantined to her room or Caspian's study. It wasn't until later that night that Caspian came into the room to retrieve her.

"You can join us now," He said, stepping into the room, dressed rather nicely.

She eyed him curiously as she stood up from her book," What are you up to?"

"Just come and see," He said teasingly as she walked passed him into the family room.

As she turned the corner and walked out to the balcony, she saw both of her children, standing next to a nicely set table for four. There was a candle on the table as well as most of the finest silverware she had ever had at the castle. She looked to her husband, her jaw dropped at the sight of all of them so dressed up.

"What is the occasion?" She asked, looking him straight in the eye.

It was at this time that both Annalisa and Rillian cried," We love you, mom!"

"I love you both too!" She answered as they ran over to embrace her.

"It's nice to be appreciated sometimes is all," Caspian said, smiling at her. "You spend nearly most of the day with them, I'll have to make up for that and give you the day off tomorrow."

Rosalie smiled, genuinely touched by this notion," Thank you, Caspian. That was very nice of you. I love you."

"And I you," He answered, smirking.

And then, they all gathered around for the meal that she later learned they had prepared all on their own. It was one of the best meals that she had ever enjoyed at the castle, simply because they had worked so hard and diligently on it.

As the sun set, the castle activity settled down and all was well in Telmar.

**A/N: Just a little one-shot for you guys :D Thought you might enjoy this on Mother's Day.**


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